Diamond Heat Spreader Material Keeps GaN Devices Cool

Capable of reducing device junction temperatures by 25%, Nano Materials International unveils what it calls the first aluminum diamond metal matrix composites (MMCs) for dissipating heat generated by high-density semiconductors such as gallium nitride (GaN) RF power transistors. As per the company, diamond has the highest thermal conductivity of any substance on Earth. When made as an aluminum-diamond composite and used as a heat spreader material, this property remains about 80% higher than its nearest competitor, copper-molybdenum-copper. Aluminum diamond also has a coefficient of thermal expansion close to that of silicon carbide, which is essential because most GaN devices employ SiC as their substrate material. NMIC’s aluminum diamond also has metallization properties well suited for die attach, along with excellent dimensional tolerance and material stability.

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