Parametric Study of Heatspreader Thermal Performance in 48 Lead Plastic DIP's and 68 Lead Plastic Leaded Chip Carriers

A study of material and dimensional parameters that affect the thermal performance of heatspreaders internal to 48 lead dual in-line package (DIP) and 68 lead plastic leaded chip carrier (PLCC) molded plastic packages is given. It was found that package thermal resistance is relatively insensitive to heatspreader thermal conductivity and thickness, while variations in area can greatly influence thermal resistance. However, increasing the heatspreader area beyond a certain size will not reduce thermal resistance significantly.