The International Workshop on Integrated Power Packaging (IWIPP) 2017 recently took place in Delft (The Netherlands). Kevin Speer, Technology Strategy Manager for Power Semiconductor Products at Littelfuse, participated as a member of the Technical Program Committee. We asked him the following five questions about this important industry event:

What was this industry event all about?

IWIPP is a technical workshop focused on advanced power packaging and integrated power packaging or IPP. It is a gathering of some of the leading minds around the world who are working on system-enabling packaging methods for current semiconductor technologies, including silicon IGBTs, as well as emerging wide bandgap semiconductor technologies like silicon carbide (SiC). 

What is Integrated Power Packaging?

Under most circumstances, a bare die power device cannot be used as a standalone product by the end customer; instead, it must be put into some type of package that has pins or terminals to which the rest of the circuit can be connected. If we simply call this the power package, the concept of “integrated power packaging” describes the extent to which other electrical or thermal parts of the customer’s system are incorporated as part of the power package. For example, one form of IPP is to embed the gate drive components into the package with the power device die; another example at the other end of the spectrum is incorporating thermal management, such as coupling the heat sink directly to the power device die. In between are all sorts of advanced interconnect techniques such as conventional aluminum wire-bonding or more advanced ultrasonic copper bonds. The end game for IPP is smaller converters with higher power ratings with increased efficiency; for the customer, that means systems that are smaller, lighter, cooler, and less energy-demanding.

Why was it important for Littelfuse to attend?

In March, Littelfuse publicly announced a majority stake in Monolith Semiconductor, a designer and manufacturer of world-class SiC MOSFETs and Schottky diodes. SiC power device technology, much like integrated power packaging, offers a way for customers to increase the power density and energy efficiency of their end systems. Littelfuse believes that combining SiC with IPP will provide customers with the solutions they need to meet next-generation platform demands. Participation in IWIPP keeps us up to date on the state of the art in advanced and integrated power packaging.

What IPP products does Littelfuse provide?

Today, Littelfuse offers industry-standard package solutions that will continue to be indispensable in a variety of mainstream power conversion applications. As we move further into SiC power devices, we have aspirations to develop and offer our own IPP-centric solutions for applications where power density, efficiency, and system-level cost are of paramount importance. Because IPP is an enabler for SiC and vice versa, both will be hot topics for us in the future.

What are the takeaway and industry trends that were discussed?

One common theme that emerged from the IWIPP presentations was the means through which IPP can be made superior in terms of performance and reliability. These means included innovations in die attach techniques, such as silver sintering and flip-chip, as well as interconnect methods like ultrasonic welding, copper ribbon, power overlay, and chip embedding. As one might expect, some of the biggest performance improvements present challenges to manufacturability and commercial viability in the near term. IWIPP is a forum for the advanced packaging community to convene and discuss the progress made to date.

The International Workshop on Integrated Power Packaging (IWIPP) brings together researchers in the field of power electronics components, electrical insulating materials and packaging technologies to rapidly promote the development and commercialization of high-density and high-efficiency power converters. This workshop is an opportunity to engage in a meaningful discussion about the latest technologies and techniques in both industry and academia, ensuring that a cooperative learning environment is fostered for all.