Smiths Interconnect enhances thermal management IC testing
System simulation models allow Smiths Interconnect to optimise each lid’s design for efficient heat dissipation through a variety of cooling mechanisms.
Traditional solutions, including finned and liquid cooled heatsinks, have been limited in the amount of power they can support. By introducing a Hi-Perform liquid cooled lid integrated with a chiller and heatpipe/heatsink variant, the company has expanded testing capabilities by being able to dissipate 650W. The lids stabilise the junction temperature within a desired range allowing for IC testing at a higher thermal power point for a longer duration. This results in a more accurate test, confirms Smiths.
The reason for the demand is that next-generation logic IC packages, CPUs and graphic processing units (GPUs) become more powerful they are generating an exponentially increasing amount of heat, explained Paul Harris, at Smiths Interconnect. “IC manufacturers and test houses must surmount thermal management challenges whilst maintaining low test costs,” he added.
Smiths Interconnect thermal management are developed specifically to a user’s application. They can provide benefits such as compatibility with conventional socket and lid-mounting design footprints. This allows for simple conversion to an enhanced thermal management solution, said Smiths.
A compact, table-top chiller unit consumes minimal space in a test lab and investment for integration is reduced as existing test hardware, coolant mediums and air inlets can be used, reducing the overall cost of testing.
Smiths Interconnect provides technically differentiated electronic components, subsystems, microwave and radio frequency products that connect, protect and control critical applications in the commercial aviation, defence, space, medical, rail, semiconductor test, wireless telecommunications, and industrial market segments.
Smiths Interconnect is part of Smiths Group, a global technology group delivering products and services for the medical, security and defence, general industrial, energy and space and commercial aerospace market segments worldwide. Smiths Group operates in over 50 countries.
