Thermal Characterization of Metal-Diamond Composite Heat Spreaders Using Low-Frequency-Domain Thermoreflectance

High thermal conductivity and an appropriate coefficient of thermal expansion are the key features of a perfect heat spreader for electronic device packaging, especially for applications with increased power density and the increasing demand for higher reliability and semiconductor device performance. For the past decade, metal-diamond composites have been thoroughly studied as a heat spreader, thanks to their high thermal conductivities and tailored coefficients of thermal expansion. While existing thermal characterization methods are good for quality control purposes, a more accurate method is needed to determine detailed thermal properties of these composite materials, especially if clad with metal. Low-frequency-range-domain thermoreflectance has been adopted to measure the thermal conductivity of a metal-diamond composite sandwiched between metal cladding layers. Due to this technique’s low modulation frequencies, from 10 Hz to 10 kHz, multiple layers can be probed and measured at depths ranging from tens of micrometers to a few millimeters.