IP Library Granted Patent US 12713528
Granted Patent B2
US 12713528 · App. 18/388,737 · Granted Aug 18, 2026

Device for thermal conduction and electrical isolation

Inventor: Jason Schmitt (Wichita, KS)
Assignee: Nitride Global Inc.
H05K1/053B32B15/16H10W70/6875H10W70/682
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12713528
App. No.
18/388,737
Filed
Nov 10, 2023
Granted
Aug 18, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
1713
USPC
216/94
Abstract

The disclosure provides an insulated metal substrate (IMS) including a substrate having a first side and a second side. The IMS may also include a first dielectric layer on the first side of the substrate. The dielectric layer may include a metal-based oxynitride and/or a metalloid-based oxynitride layer, oxygen is from 0.1 at % to 49.9 at %, nitrogen is from 0.1 at % to 49.9 at % and a sum of oxygen and nitrogen is about 50 at %. The first dielectric layer comprises a material selected from a group consisting of aluminum oxynitride (AlON), aluminum oxyhydronitride (AlHON), aluminum oxycarbonitride (AlCON), SiGeON, GaON, SiON, and GeON. The substrate comprises one of Cu, Al, AlSi, C—Al, W—Cu, or Ti.

Claims (49)

1 . A method for forming an insulated metal substrate with a metal rich surface, the method comprising:

cleaning a copper (Cu) substrate;

lapping the Cu substrate;

electropolishing the Cu substrate;

forming a 10 μm aluminum oxynitride (AlON) layer on the Cu substrate;

forming a 0.05 μm Cu rich AlON layer on the 10 μm AlON layer;

laser etching a 0.05 μm deep pattern; and

etching to remove excess Al.

2 . The method of claim 1 , the method further comprising:

electrolytically depositing a Cu layer;

depositing an additional seed layer;

electrolytically depositing a palladium layer; and

applying an immersion gold layer.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising electrolytically depositing a Cu layer;

depositing an additional seed layer; electrolytically depositing a palladium layer; and applying an immersion gold layer.

4 . The method of claim 1 , the aluminum oxynitride dielectric layer has a thickness between 5 μm and 50 μm on the copper substrate.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulated metal substrate produced by the method exhibits a breakdown strength greater than 50 V/μm.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum oxynitride layer formed on the Cu substrate has a thickness between 5 μm and 20 μm.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum oxynitride layer formed on the Cu substrate has a thickness between 1 μm and 100 μm.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the aluminum oxynitride layer is configured to provide electrical isolation while maintaining thermal conduction across the substrate.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the Cu rich ALON layer has a thickness up to 0.05 μm.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the copper-rich aluminum oxynitride layer transition from a region devoid of copper to at least one region comprising copper.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the insulated metal substrate has a compositionally graded interface extending from an aluminum oxynitride layer to a copper region, the interface comprising a copper-rich aluminum oxynitride region.

12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein copper concentration increases across a thickness from the aluminum oxynitride layer toward the copper substrate.

13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the copper-rich aluminum oxynitride layer adjoins a metallic copper region.

14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein laser etching removes material without etching through the entire thickness of the layer.

15 . The method of claim 1 , wherein laser etching is performed on selected regions of the aluminum oxynitride layer to define a pattern.

16 . The method of claim 1 , wherein etching reduces aluminum concentration without completely removing aluminum from the copper-rich aluminum oxynitride layer.

17 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a copper layer and a palladium layer by an electroless deposition process.

18 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a copper layer by electroless deposition, depositing a palladium layer by electroless deposition, and applying an immersion gold layer.

19 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing at least one of a copper layer or a palladium layer by an electroless deposition process.

20 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the copper layer is deposited by one of electrolytic deposition or electroless deposition.

21 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser etching defines a patterned structure comprising electrically isolated regions.

22 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the laser etching selectively removes material from discrete regions of the aluminum oxynitride layer.

23 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising chemically etching the aluminum oxynitride layer.

24 . The method of claim 1 , etching to remove excess Al comprises by chemical etching to further define patterned regions.

25 . The method of claim 1 , wherein etching to remove excess Al comprises chemical etching.

26 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the patterned structure defines conductive features within the insulated metal substrate.

27 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising etching a subsequently deposited metal layer.

28 . The method of claim 1 , wherein patterned metallization features are formed on the insulated metal substrate.

29 . A method for forming an insulated metal substrate with a metal rich surface, the method comprising:

cleaning a copper (Cu) substrate;

lapping the Cu substrate;

electropolishing the Cu substrate;

forming an aluminum oxynitride (AlON) layer of less than 200 μm on the Cu substrate; and,

forming a Cu rich AlON layer on the AlON layer.

30 . The method of claim 29 further comprising:

laser etching a pattern having a depth of at least 0.05 μm; and

etching to remove excess Al.