Silicon Nitride Substrates

for Power Electronics

Ulrich Voeller, Bernd Lehmeier

Table of content Si3N4

1 Material characteristics
2 Technology - comparison AMB/DBC
3 Interfacial structure and chemistry
4 Performance- metallized substrate
5 Summarized

2
Mechanical characteristics

Al2O3 96% AlN ZTA (9%) Si3N4

(HPS9%)
Thermal conductivity
[W/mK] 24 180 28 90

Bending strength
[MPa] 450 450 700 650
Fracture toughness
[MPa / m] 3,8-4,2 3-3,4 4,5-5 6,5-7

Advantage:

 high reliability (thermo shock resistance)

 besides good thermal performance

3
Electrical characteristics

tan δ Normed Partial

Thickness Breakdow
Ceramic (50Hz) Breakdow discharge
ε r (50Hz) n voltage
material [mm] n voltage
*10-3 [kV] E=14kV/mm
[kV/mm]
14,85 ±
Si3N4 0,32 7,62 2,26 46,4 <5pC
4,46%
ZTA 9% 11,86±
0,32 10,32 1,67 37,1 <5pC
(HPS 9%) 3,27%
21,16 ±
AlN 0,63 8,7 1,76 33,6 <5pC
2,82%

 Average values of N=10

 Partial discharge free

4
 Si3N4 Technology
Active Metal Brazing Direct Bond Copper
Copper Brazing-solder Si3N4 Copper Si3N4

Screen printing Oxidation Coating

Tempering

Brazing process DBC process

Masking, Copper etching Masking, Copper etching

2nd Etching

Laser, Plating (Ni,Au/ Au/ Ag ) Laser, Plating (Ni,Au/ Au/ Ag )

5
 Interfacial structure Si3N4 DBC
Cross section: Cu/Si3N4-100x:
Sample preparation:
Ion beam etching
„Cross Section Polishing“
Cu Si3N4

Analysis of cross section:

 HR (high resolution)-SEM

6
 Interfacial structure Si3N4 DBC
Cross section: Cu/oxidation-layer/Si3N4 -20kx:
Explanation:
Si3N4
 Passivation of the Si3N4
surface
 Activation of the surface for
Oxidation layer DBC process

• thickness: 1-2µm
• chemical adhesion:
 Copper silicate

Cu

7
 Interfacial structure Si3N4 AMB
Cross section: Cu/Brazing/Si3N4- 100x / 10kx

Si3N4
chemical adhesion:
Brazing  Intermetallic compound

Copper

8
 Performance: Reliability

Comparison ceramics:
Reliability [-55-150°C]
Weibull - 95% CI
Arbitrary Censoring - ML Estimates ΔT=205K (-55-150°C)
99
Ceramic material
90
80
AlN: 35 cy cles
Al2O3: 55 cy cles
 d(Cu)=0,3mm;
70
60
HPS9%: 110 cy cles
Si3N4 DBC: 2300 cy cles
 d(Al2O3;HPS9%;Si3N4)
50
40 Si3N4 AMB: 5000 cycles =0,32mm
30
 d(AlN)=0,63mm
Percent

20

10
Table of S tatistics
S hape S cale A D*
 same Layout
3,85392
4,66993
35,16 1,243
56,94 1,159
 no Dimple- Design
5
8,06937 109,99 15,624
3 5,13231 2370,46 1,846
2 Best Perfomance:
1  Si3N4 DBC (Cu 0,3):
10 100 2000 5000
Cycles 2300cycles
 Si3N4 AMB (Cu 0,5):
>5000cycles

9
 Failure mode: DBC

Si3N4:

Start 500 cycles 1000 cycles 1500 cycles 2000 cycles

HPS9%:

Start 25 cycles 50 cycles 75 cycles 100 cycles

 gradual delamination of Copper, Si3N4 ceramic is staying undamaged!

 conchoidal fracture in HPS 9% ceramic

10
comparison – thermal cycling
Combination Copper Ceramic Copper Backside Thermal Cycles
Layoutside [mm] [mm] [mm] [1]
Al2O3 DBC 0.3 0.38 0.3 55
HPS 9% (ZTA) DBC 0.3 0.32 0.3 110
AlN DBC 0.3 0.63 0.3 35
Si3N4 DBC 0.3 0.32 0.3 2300
Si3N4 AMB 0.5 0.32 0.5 5000

DBC - Al2O3 cycled substrate after 50 cycles

 conchoidal fracture

DBC – Si3N4 cycled substrate after 2300 cycles

 delamination

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Performance:
Breakdown strength (DBC)
d(Cu)=0,3mm ; d(Si3N4)=0,32mm N=9
Testing condition:
continuous rise of voltage until breakdown is registered

Breakdown strength [kV]

95% CI for the Mean
12

11
Breakdown strength [kV]

10
Breakdown strength:

9 8,9 9,0 9,1

>6,5 kV
@ 0,3mmCu/ 0,32mm Si3N4
8

6
IX VII X
Lot

12
Performance:
Partial discharge free (DBC)
Partial discharge free :
d(Cu)=0,3mm ;d(Si3N4)=0,32mm N=12 Testing condition:

Boxplot of Si3N4 Lot1; Si3N4 Lot2

5

4
partial discharge [pC]

0
Si3N4 Lot1 Si3N4 Lot2

 Proof voltage: 5kV @ 10sec

 Target value: Partial discharge free: <10pC

13
Performance:
Rth comparison

Rth [K/W]
0,38
0,359
0,36
0,34
0,32
Rth [K/W]

0,30
0,275 0,271
0,28
0,26
0,24
0,22 0,202
0,197 0,201
0,20

m m m m m m Pel = 50 W = const.
3 m Pel32m 2 m _ m m m
,6 ,3 63 32 ,3
2
0 0, _0 , 0, 0
3_ O3
_
% N_
0 B_ BC
_
T1 = 100 ± 0,1 °C = const.
l 2O l2 S9 Al AM _D
_A _A HP 4_ N 4_ N4
1 2 3_ i3 3
S Si
5_ 6_ Solder: SnAg3,7Cu0,7
Material
 (d=0,05mm)

14
Summary

Process Direct Bonded Copper (DBC) Active Metal Brazing (AMB)

Technology
Reliability 2300 cycles >5000 cycles

Material
combination 0,3/0,32/0,3 0,5/0,25/0,5
(Cu/Si3N4/Cu) 0,5/0,32/0,5

Partial discharge ++ ++
free
Design Rules Standard DBC Design Rules: AMB Design Rules:
min spacing: 0,5mm @ 0,3mm Cu min. spacing: 1mm @ 0,5mm Cu
Cost +20%

15
comparison – summary

The increasing demand for longer life time cycles and higher thermal performance in
power modules can be realized with high strength Si3N4 insulating material.

The investigation showed that depending on the metallization method, the reliability of
Si3N4 was better by a factor of 20 using DBC (direct bond copper) technology and by a
factor of 50 using AMB (active metal brazing) technology compared to conventional DBC
ceramic materials.

The higher mechanical properties of Si3N4 ceramic, especially its very high fracture
toughness (K1C), contribute to its enhanced reliability.

Furthermore, Si3N4‘s higher strength enables the use of a thinner cross section resulting
in a comparable thermal performance to AlN.

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Thank you for your attention