New Spectra-Mat/Alloy Enterprises Hybrid Design Microchannel Cooler
SAES Spectra-Mat, Inc. (SMI) and Alloy Enterprises have jointly developed a new micro-channel cooler (MCC), using advanced additive manufacturing. The result is the enhancement of the thermal management capabilities of MCCs, while reducing production time and costs.
The new MCC design leverages the strengths of both companies:
- SMI specializes in controlled expansion composites (CECs), particularly tungsten infiltrated with copper, which combines high electrical and thermal conductivity with the hardness and low thermal expansion of tungsten
- Alloy Enterprises utilizes their patented Stack Forging™ method, which involves 3D geometry preparation, laser cutting, and diffusion bonding to create intricate, layered components
What makes this new MCC design unique?
The combination of SMI and Alloy Enterprises technologies is a leap forward in MCC technology, uniting the robustness of the W or W-Cu substrate, while maintaining the thermal match to the GaAs or GaN mating part, and with the effective and expedient manufacturing and design methods provided by the Stack Forging™ technology.
The new MCC features a nine-layer design, an improvement over the previous three-layer version. This multi-layer structure allows for optimized flow channels, enhancing the cooling efficiency. The innovative manufacturing process includes:
- 3D Geometry Preparation: Creating detailed designs for the MCC layers.
- Laser Cutting: Precisely cutting complex components.
- Diffusion Bonding: Bonding the layers to form a single, cohesive unit with intricate interior geometries
- CTE Matched Landing: Thermal expansion with hard solder matched to your component.
Key Advantages at a glance
- Improved Thermal Management: The new MCC offers lower thermal resistance and increased thermal conductance, ensuring better cooling performance
- Reduced Production Time: The Stack Forging™ method significantly shortens the production cycle, allowing for quicker iterations and customizations
- Cost-Effectiveness: The hybrid MCC is competitively priced compared to all-copper parts, with the added reliability of hard solder bonding
| SMI MCC Parameter | Target | Stack Forged Hybrid |
| Flow rate | 0.4 LPM | 0.3 LPM |
| Pressure drop (psi) | 15.0 | < 17.0 |
| Thermal resistance °C/Watt | 0.5 | < 0.25 |
| Critical surface flatness | < 10 μm | < 5 μm |
| He leak test | < 5 x 10-5 atm-cc/s | < 5 x 10-8 atm-cc/s |
The collaboration between SMI and Alloy Enterprises has resulted in a cutting-edge MCC that combines advanced materials and manufacturing techniques to deliver superior thermal management at a reduced cost and production time.
Interested in the novel Hybrid MCC?
If you’d like to learn more about how this new MCC design can improve your device cooling efficacy, feel free to reach out. Contact us today at Sales@Spectramat.com.
For more Stacked Forge™ information, contact either SMI or Alloy Enterprises at sales@alloyenterprises.co
