Using Laminated Metal Foam as the Top-Side Contact of a PCB-Embedded Power Die

The proposed innovative manufacturing process - described in detail - uses metal foam to create a pressed contact between the top side of a printed circuit board-embedded power die and the rest of the circuit. Initial prototypes were constructed using diodes with die dimensions of 4 mm \times 6.35 mm. The prototypes were electrically characterized: the chip and contact dc and ac impedance values were measured and compared with those obtained for conventional packaging that uses bond wires. The electrical impedance of the prototypes was found to be similar to that of a state-of-the-art industrial package. Moreover, the proposed process is simple and cost-effective. Although the results presented in this letter are promising, further research is necessary to fully assess the benefits and limitations of the process.