Substrate specifications
Typical values for reference. Master cards up to 138 × 190 mm; singulated parts by laser scribing or dicing. Final specifications follow your drawing and the agreed datasheet.
96% Alumina DBC
The industry workhorse. 96% alumina DBC gives a good balance of insulation, thermal performance and price, and suits most industrial IGBT modules, power supplies and solar inverters.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Ceramic | 96% Al₂O₃ |
| Thermal conductivity | 24 W/m·K |
| CTE | 7.1 ppm/K |
| Flexural strength | ≥ 400 MPa |
| Ceramic thickness | 0.25 – 1.0 mm |
| Copper thickness | 0.127 – 0.60 mm |
- Industrial IGBT modules
- Solar and UPS inverters
- Thermoelectric coolers
- LED and laser packages
Zirconia-Toughened Alumina DBC
Alumina toughened with zirconia. Higher strength lets you use thinner ceramic (0.25 – 0.32 mm), which lowers thermal resistance and improves cycling life over standard Al₂O₃ at a modest cost premium.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Ceramic | Al₂O₃ + 9% ZrO₂ |
| Thermal conductivity | 26 W/m·K |
| CTE | 7.5 ppm/K |
| Flexural strength | ≥ 600 MPa |
| Ceramic thickness | 0.25 – 0.38 mm |
| Copper thickness | 0.127 – 0.50 mm |
- Higher-power IGBT modules
- Automotive auxiliary inverters
- Designs moving off Al₂O₃ without going to nitrides
Aluminium Nitride AMB & DBC
Aluminium nitride has the highest thermal conductivity of the four, about seven times that of alumina, and a CTE close to silicon. It is more brittle, so it suits high heat flux with moderate thermal cycling.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Ceramic | AlN |
| Thermal conductivity | ≥ 170 W/m·K |
| CTE | 4.5 ppm/K |
| Flexural strength | ≥ 350 MPa |
| Ceramic thickness | 0.38 – 1.0 mm |
| Copper thickness | 0.10 – 0.50 mm |
- High-heat-flux IGBT modules
- Rail traction
- Laser diodes and RF power
- Thermoelectric modules
Silicon Nitride AMB
Silicon nitride combines good thermal conductivity with very high fracture toughness. With AMB-bonded thick copper it survives far more thermal cycles than oxide ceramics, which is why it is the default for SiC traction modules.
| Property | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Ceramic | Si₃N₄ |
| Thermal conductivity | ≥ 80 W/m·K |
| CTE | 2.6 – 3.0 ppm/K |
| Flexural strength | ≥ 700 MPa |
| Ceramic thickness | 0.25 – 0.63 mm |
| Copper thickness | 0.30 – 0.80 mm |
- EV traction SiC modules
- On-board chargers
- High-reliability industrial and grid modules
Side by side
| Property | Al₂O₃ | ZTA | AlN | Si₃N₄ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonding | DBC | DBC | AMB / DBC | AMB |
| Thermal conductivity (W/m·K) | 24 | 26 | ≥ 170 | ≥ 80 |
| CTE (ppm/K) | 7.1 | 7.5 | 4.5 | 2.6 – 3.0 |
| Flexural strength (MPa) | ≥ 400 | ≥ 600 | ≥ 350 | ≥ 700 |
| Thermal-cycling life | Moderate | Good | Moderate | Excellent |
| Relative cost | Lowest | Low | High | Highest |
Values are typical ceramic properties at room temperature and vary by manufacturer and grade.