Two Indium Corporation Experts to Present at APEC

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Two Indium Corporation experts are set to present at APEC 2023, March 19-23, in Orlando, FL. Senior Research Chemist Dr. Sihai Chen will present a technical poster titled Highly Reliable Silver Sintering Joints for Power Module Applications, while Product Manager Joe Hertline will deliver a presentation titled A Novel Material Technology that Reduces Tooling Dependency and Process Complexity in Power Module Soldering and Sintering Applications. 

Dr. Chen’s poster presentation will address the development of silver sintering for high-reliability power modules necessitated by the large-scale production of EVs. Currently used high-lead solder bonding materials cannot meet the criteria for power module assembly, especially under high CTE mismatch conditions. However, silver sintering paste bonded between materials with different CTE mismatches achieved high reliability tested by TST (-65ºC–150ºC, 3min./3min., liquid-to-liquid).

Hertline will present on a novel material technology which, applied during assembly, provides robust tacking strength to reduce the dependency on customized fixturing. The technology reduces process time, energy input, and tooling complexity while minimizing up-front thermal stress applied to the device components, yielding an overall manufacturing cost of ownership reduction for high-reliability power modules. It provides a solution to the growing reliance on complex, costly alignment fixturing as power module designers seek repeatable manufacturing and to achieve high-reliability performance.

Dr. Chen specializes in silver sintering paste product development and has authored several of Indium Corporation’s patents for silver sintering paste, thermal interface materials, heat dissipating paint, and indium bump bonding. Dr. Chen has been published in many of the world’s leading scientific journals, including the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Nano Letters, Langmuir, and The Journal of Physical Chemistry. He has also been a reviewer for some of these publications. Dr. Chen obtained his doctorate in chemistry from the Chinese Academy of Sciences with a focus on metal and semiconductor nanomaterial synthesis. Prior to joining Indium Corporation, he conducted research at Clemson University and Duke University. Dr. Chen also has extensive research experience in nanomaterials in Germany (Max-Plank Gesellschaft scholarship recipient) and Japan (JSPS fellow), as well as in the U.S. He holds a Six Sigma Green Belt and is certified as an IPC Specialist for IPC-A-610.

Hertline is responsible for driving the growth of the power electronics product line through development and implementation of marketing strategies supported by customer experience, emerging technologies, and industry feedback. Hertline also collaborates with Indium Corporation's sales, technical support, R&D, production, and quality teams to serve existing customers and grow new business in his designated market. He earned a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA from Clarkson University and is a Certified SMT Process Engineer (CSMTPE).