Hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and future plug-in HEVs (PHEVs) offer an alternative to traditional gas engine vehicles by providing considerably more fuel efficiency. Because the main hurdle inhibiting the widespread acceptance of these vehicles is economic, a concerted effort is underway to reduce costs. One approach is to remove the additional coolant lines (at 70°C) used for power electronics, traction motors, and generators and consolidate them with the engine radiator cooling loop (at 105°C). However, this approach would require the power electronics to operate at higher temperatures, possibly decreasing performance, reducing reliability, and reducing operational lifetimes. Therefore, there is an immediate need for durable packaging materials that can function reliably at the higher operating temperatures and remove heat from the components. This project will continue the development of novel thermal management materials based on transient liquid phase sintering (TLPS) adhesive technology. These materials would have the potential to increase the thermal conductance of high-power electronics packages by an order of magnitude. Interfacial thermal resistance will be decreased through the formation of metallurgical bonds at the device and package interfaces.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The proposed TLPS adhesive technology would be a low-cost drop-in replacement for existing manufacturing processes, contributing to a lower cost for HEVs and PHEVs. In turn, a greater acceptance of these vehicles would reduce our overall dependence on foreign oil and would lower greenhouse gas emissions
