Custom boost for aluminium SMT heat sinks ...

In addition to standard heat sinks for all common D-PAK modules, CTX now offers extruded and cold extruded aluminium SMD heat sinks designed and produced for the exact thermal requirements.

“In the past two years, the demand for custom SMD heat sinks has increased considerably,” says Wilfried Schmitz, Managing Director of CTX Thermal Solutions.

“CTX meets this demand with application-specific heat sinks manufactured from continuous cast aluminium alloys or high-grade aluminium. Like standard heat sinks, the extruded or cold extruded heat sinks are available in bulk or as tape-and-reel material.”

CTX offers three options for the bond between the semiconductor and the heat sink.

A manual bond is achieved by applying a thermally conductive adhesive to the semiconductor contact surface and then placing the heat sink on the electronic element to be cooled.

For automated processing, the SMD heat sinks are provided with a double-sided adhesive thermally conductive foil for bonding to the semiconductor.

Alternatively, extruded and cold extruded heat sinks can be pre-tinned to enable manual or automated soldering to the PCB to create a secure bond to the semiconductor element.

Compared to standard heat sinks, which are manufactured from copper by means of stamping and forming and then tinned, extruded or cold extruded aluminium heat sinks feature important advantages: Both processes make it possible to implement highly individual heat sink geometries with very large surfaces. This makes them just as efficient as copper heat sinks.

Application-specific SMD heat sinks have the added advantage of lower material and process expenses.