Thermal analysis of circuit boards and microelectronic components using an analytical solution to the heat conduction equation

An analytical solution to the three-dimensional heat conduction equation is adapted to the analysis of printed circuit boards and component packages. A Fourier series solution coupled with an integrated thermal network is used to predict substrate surface temperatures and heat loss via interconnecting leads. The resultant solutions have been coded into the TAMS (Thermal Analyzer for Multi-layer Structures) and PTAMS (Pcb TAMS) computer programs. An example of a multi-chip module on an epoxy-glass coupon is used to illustrate the methodology. This paper summarizes several previously published articles as well as indicating new pre/post-processing capability.