A Simulation Study on the Thermal Effectiveness of Graphene-Based Films In Intelligent Power Modules

Intelligent Power Modules (IPMs) integrate gate drive circuits and power transistors into one package. A large amount of heat generated from the power devices can affect the performance of the entire module. Graphene, an outstanding lateral heat spreader, can be employed in power modules to improve the thermal dissipation. However, due to its lower vertical thermal conductivity, graphene would bring different cooling effects depending on its geometry and placement. This paper studies the heat dissipation in three different IPMs with graphene-based film (GBF) placed on the power chips, on the different layers of direct bonded copper (DBC) substrate or on the copper substrate, and on the bottom of the IPMs. The aim is to further improve the packaging structures. The best heat dissipation can be achieved when placing GBFs on the materials with poor thermal conductivity. This is also verified by the equivalent spreading thermal resistance calculation.