Microstructure and thermo-physical properties of a SiC/pure-Al composite for electronic packaging

A preform comprised of 70 vol% SiC particles was infiltrated with commercially pure aluminium to produce the electronic packaging composite. A dense and uniform microstructure was found in the composite. The incorporation of high volume fraction of SiC particles led to a reduction of coefficient of thermal expansion while maintaining a relatively high thermal conductivity. The correlation between the microstructure features and thermo-physical properties was discussed. The performance of the electronic assemblies using the composite baseplate was evaluated. After 80 thermal shocks (–55 to 150 °C), the thermal resistance kept almost constant, demonstrating the potential application of this composite in the electronic packaging.