Award: Award of Distinction
Year: 2000
Category: Adv. Particulate Matls
Market Segment: Other

Description:
The award was given to these copper tungsten substrates made from a functionally graded material and used in high-power microelectronics and optoelectronics packaging. Spray-dried powders are granulated for flowability and compacted with an acrylic binder. The 85 percent tungsten 15 percent copper surrounding-body is compacted and sintered in a hydrogen- atmosphere furnace. The 50 percent tungsten 50 percent copper core is inserted into the body and sintered again in hydrogen. The part is brought to net shape using a double-disk grinder and conventional grinders. The substrate is finally assembled into an electronic package and a corresponding electronic die is bonded. Special tooling is used to generate green compacts with the necessary cavities, through-holes, or pockets to insert the functional cores. During sintering the green body shrinks approximately 26.6 percent. The substrates are nickel - and gold-plated. PM allows for low-cost manufacturing of high-performance heat sinks. The PM substrates give a thermal conductivity of 320 watts per meter Kelvin.