News

22 December 2009

 

Nextreme launches high-temp gold-tin thermoelectric cooler for standard opto assembly

Nextreme Thermal Solutions of Durham, NC, USA, which designs and manufactures microscale thermal and power management products, is offering an updated version of its OptoCooler HV14 thermoelectric module that enables assembly temperatures as high as 320°C, making it compatible with eutectic gold-tin (AuSn) solder (the industry-standard process for packaging optoelectronic devices that require tight tolerances). Specific applications include laser diodes, semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) and sensors.

The HV14 is a high-heat-pumping thermoelectric device that is designed for standard electrical power requirements. At 85°C, it operates at a maximum of 2.7V and can pump 1.7W of heat in a footprint of only 3mm2. The module can create a temperature differential of up to 50°C between its hot and cold sides, making it suitable for the cooling and temperature control of optoelectronic devices such as laser diodes.

AuSn solder provides excellent joint strength, strain resistance and thermal conductivity. After initial reflow during device assembly, the melting point of the particular AuSn solder is 320°C, enabling subsequent attachment of laser diodes and other devices to the thermoelectric modules at lower temperatures (typically at 283°C, which is the industry standard). The use of this strain-resistant material is particularly important for laser diodes, where movement of solder as little as 10 microns can cause significant alignment issues, says Nextreme.

“Nextreme now offers the standard for solder assembly established by the optoelectronics industry,” says Dr Paul A. Magill, VP of marketing & business development. “The introduction of gold-tin in the HV14 product line addresses our customers' most challenging assembly requirements.”

See related item:

Nextreme’s OptoCooler HV14 passes 3000g shock test

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