1 Introduction to Thermal Design of Electronic Equipment.pdfVIP

Hibbeler R. C. “Force-System Resultants and Equilibrium” Thermal Design of Electronic Equipment. Ed. Ralph Remsburg Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC, 2001 1 Introduction to Thermal Design of Electronic Equipment 1.1 INTRODUCTION TO THE MODES OF HEAT TRANSFER IN ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT Electronic devices produce heat as a by-product of normal operation. When electrical current flows through a semiconductor or a passive device, a portion of the power is dissipated as heat energy. Besides the damage that excess heat can cause, it also increases the movement of free electrons in a semiconductor, which can cause an increase in signal noise. The primary focus of this book is to examine various ways to reduce the temperature of a semiconductor, or group of semiconductors. If we do not allow the heat to dissipate, the device junction temperature will exceed the maximum safe operating temperature specified by the manufacturer. When a device exceeds the specified temperature, semiconductor performance, life, and reliability are tremendously reduced, as shown in Figure 1.1. The basic objective, then, is to hold the junction temperature below the maximum temperature specified by the semiconductor manufacturer. Nature transfers heat in three ways, convection, conduction, and radiation. We will explore these in greater detail in subsequent chapters, but a simple definition of each is appropriate at this stage. 1.1.1 CONVECTION Convection is a combination of the bulk transportation and mixing of macroscopic parts of hot and cold fluid elements, heat conduction within the coolant media, and energy storage. Convection can be due to the expansion of the coolant media in contact with the device. This is called free convection, or natural convection. Con- vection can also be due to other forces