Power converter
A power converter includes a field graded substrate, a plurality of power device dies attached to the field graded substrate, a polymer layer on the field graded substrate, one or more conductors over the polymer layer, and a plurality of power conditioning components mounted on the field graded substrate to form a power converter circuit. The field graded substrate includes a first conductor layer, a graded layer that blends conductor and insulator material, and a second conductor layer, the graded layer having an insulator core.
1. A power converter comprising:
a field graded substrate comprising a first conductor layer, a graded layer that blends conductor and insulator material, and a second conductor layer, the graded layer having an insulator core;
a plurality of power device dies attached to the field graded substrate;
a polymer layer on the field graded substrate;
one or more conductors over the polymer layer; and
a plurality of power conditioning components mounted on the field graded substrate to form a power converter circuit;
wherein the graded layer comprises a blend of copper and ceramic with a higher copper-to-ceramic ratio closer to the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer, the graded layer comprising a lower copper-to-ceramic ratio closer to the insulator core.
2. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the power device dies are attached to the first conductor layer and a heat sink is integrally formed with the second conductor layer.
3. The power converter of claim 2 , wherein the heat sink comprises a base plate and a plurality of cooling fins.
4. The power converter of claim 3 , wherein the base plate, the cooling fins, and the second conductor layer are made of a combination of copper and aluminum.
5. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the power device dies comprise two or more printed circuit board embedded dies of power transistors.
6. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer is a printed polymer.
7. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the polymer layer is an embedded lamination.
8. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the one or more conductors are seeded on the polymer layer using titanium and/or copper sputtering with a copper deposition layer to provide a plurality of electrical interconnections.
9. The power converter of claim 1 , wherein the power conditioning components comprise one or more of: decoupling capacitors, shunt resistors, and electromagnetic interference filters.
10. A method of assembling a power converter, the method comprising:
printing, by an additive manufacturing process, a field graded substrate comprising a first conductor layer, a graded layer that blends conductor and insulator material, and a second conductor layer, the graded layer having an insulator core;
attaching a plurality of power device dies to the field graded substrate;
applying a polymer layer on the field graded substrate;
depositing one or more conductors over the polymer layer; and
mounting a plurality of power conditioning components on the field graded substrate to form a power converter circuit;
wherein the graded layer comprises a blend of copper and ceramic with a higher copper-to-ceramic ratio closer to the first conductor layer and the second conductor layer, the graded layer comprising a lower copper-to-ceramic ratio closer to the insulator core.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the power device dies are attached to the first conductor layer, and further comprising:
printing, by another additive manufacturing process, a heat sink on the second conductor layer.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the heat sink comprises a base plate and a plurality of cooling fins.
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the base plate, the cooling fins, and the second conductor layer are made of a combination of copper and aluminum.
14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the power device dies comprise two or more printed circuit board embedded dies of power transistors.
15. The method of claim 10 , wherein the polymer layer is a printed polymer.
16. The method of claim 10 , wherein the polymer layer is an embedded lamination.
17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more conductors are seeded on the polymer layer using titanium and/or copper sputtering with a copper deposition layer to provide a plurality of electrical interconnections.
18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the power conditioning components comprise one or more of: decoupling capacitors, shunt resistors, and electromagnetic interference filters.