Altech Chemicals Ltd (ASX:ATC) (FRA:A3Y) is investigating the use of high purity alumina (HPA) in the manufacture of epoxy moulding compounds (EMC’s) that are used in the semiconductor industry to improve heat dissipation.
The company is exploring this market for the purpose of targeting some of its future HPA product into this segment.
Background
Electronic devices continue to become more compact – Moore’s Law – the exponential growth in the number of transistors that can be packed into a single semiconductor.
However, thermal or heat dissipation is a real problem as semi-conductors continue to reduce in size and contain more transistors.
It is suggested that heat could represent the ultimate barrier to the ever smaller and more powerful semiconductors that end-users have become accustomed to.
Thermally conductive fillers
The epoxy resins that have traditionally been used for semi-conductor package assembly are reaching their limits in terms of effective heat dissipation.
However, adding thermally conductive materials into the resins has been demonstrated to improve heat dissipation and thereby improve the protection of semi-conductors against heat-related failure.
The thermally conductive fillers that are being used include HPA, crystalline silica, and magnesium oxide.
HPA however is a preferred filer, due to its heat conductivity (7 times higher than silica) and a much lower thermal expansion coefficient (50% lower).
Figure illustrating a typical semiconductor chip encased in an epoxy resin compound with HPA used as a thermal filler. The heat produced from a semiconductor chip and the die pad more efficiently dissipates via the alumina rich epoxy resin and lowers thermal stress-related problems for the semi-conductor and the assembly package (integrated circuit board).
Scanning electron microscope (SEM) image of HPA used as a filler material in an epoxy resin moulding compound. The image demonstrates the efficiency of the conductive filler within the epoxy resin package.
Altech’s preliminary investigation into the demand for high-quality HPA from the EMC semi-conductor market indicates a global market size in the range of 700 – 900 tonnes per annum, with a price of US$100/kilogram being commanded by a product that meets the required specifications.
Year-on-year growth in the market is typically in line with growth experienced in the semiconductor business.
Altech believes that its low sodium HPA, and the morphology of its HPA, may be ideal for the EMC semi-conductor application, and the company intends to commence the development of a product specification that may suit this market sector’s requirements.