Using CVD Diamond to Cool Hot Devices

Increasing power densities and decreasing transistor dimensions are hallmarks of many of today’s semiconductor devices, including high-voltage power transistors, laser diodes, and RF power amplifiers. GaN devices, such as power converters for photovoltaic cells and cellular base-station power amplifiers, are further enabling higher power densities in smaller die sizes. Both trends are significantly increasing the thermal management challenge within the chip and surrounding package or module.