Excerpt: 'The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... Thermal Management with Insulated Metal Substrates, Vol. 2'
August 2, 2022 | Didier Mauve and Robert Art, VentecEstimated reading time: 1 minute

Introduction
The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... Thermal Management with Insulated Metal Substrates, Volume 2, by Didier Mauve and Robert Art of Ventec International Group is the second in a two-part series. This book builds on the material presented in the first by describing up-to-the-minute products and design techniques for thermal management with IMS.
The first volume comprehensively covers principles of heat transfer and modeling of thermal systems to help engineers quantify the thermal-management challenges in the application at hand, the nature of IMS, typical material parameters, and the choices available for designers to reach the desired performance.
We recommend reading the first book in order to understand the issue from first principles, how to navigate the many material choices offered, and appreciate how adjusting the various combinations of material types and thicknesses can help you arrive at a solution that meets your requirements from all standpoints, particularly system reliability, size, cost, and manufacturability.
The Printed Circuit Designer’s Guide to... Thermal Management with Insulated Metal Substrates, Volume 2, covers additional use cases and materials, including those used for high-temperature applications as well as high-emissivity surface treatment that can significantly enhance thermal performance. A web-based thermal calculator is demonstrated, which helps arrive at the exact size of baseplate needed to achieve the desired thermal performance in the smallest possible volume—much smaller than would be possible using a suitably sized heatsink.
Volume 2 delves deeper into issues such as test methods and how these can affect assessments of IMS materials and analyzes the effects of tolerances in material properties and thickness on the overall thermal conductivity. Understanding this can critically influence measurement error, ultimately determining whether or not an accurate result for reliability can be calculated. The authors look at how problems such as solder cracks affect thermal performance, and share application examples showing design with multilayer IMS.
As application challenges have evolved, and new component types and thermal materials have entered the market, there is more to say about thermal management and the options available to designers striving for an effective, economical, and compact solution to meet system-reliability targets.
To continue reading this book from the I-007eBooks library, download it today!
Suggested Items
Driving Innovation: Direct Imaging vs. Conventional Exposure
07/01/2025 | Simon Khesin -- Column: Driving InnovationMy first camera used Kodak film. I even experimented with developing photos in the bathroom, though I usually dropped the film off at a Kodak center and received the prints two weeks later, only to discover that some images were out of focus or poorly framed. Today, every smartphone contains a high-quality camera capable of producing stunning images instantly.
Hands-On Demos Now Available for Apollo Seiko’s EF and AF Selective Soldering Lines
06/30/2025 | Apollo SeikoApollo Seiko, a leading innovator in soldering technology, is excited to spotlight its expanded lineup of EF and AF Series Selective Soldering Systems, now available for live demonstrations in its newly dedicated demo room.
Indium Corporation Expert to Present on Automotive and Industrial Solder Bonding Solutions at Global Electronics Association Workshop
06/26/2025 | IndiumIndium Corporation Principal Engineer, Advanced Materials, Andy Mackie, Ph.D., MSc, will deliver a technical presentation on innovative solder bonding solutions for automotive and industrial applications at the Global Electronics A
Fresh PCB Concepts: Assembly Challenges with Micro Components and Standard Solder Mask Practices
06/26/2025 | Team NCAB -- Column: Fresh PCB ConceptsMicro components have redefined what is possible in PCB design. With package sizes like 01005 and 0201 becoming more common in high-density layouts, designers are now expected to pack more performance into smaller spaces than ever before. While these advancements support miniaturization and functionality, they introduce new assembly challenges, particularly with traditional solder mask and legend application processes.
Knocking Down the Bone Pile: Tin Whisker Mitigation in Aerospace Applications, Part 3
06/25/2025 | Nash Bell -- Column: Knocking Down the Bone PileTin whiskers are slender, hair-like metallic growths that can develop on the surface of tin-plated electronic components. Typically measuring a few micrometers in diameter and growing several millimeters in length, they form through an electrochemical process influenced by environmental factors such as temperature variations, mechanical or compressive stress, and the aging of solder alloys.