Manufacture and evaluation of light emitting diode package substrate using flexible printed circuit board

Unlike other light sources such as fluorescent lamps and incandescent bulbs, light-emitting diodes (LED) convert 70-80% of energy into heat. If the heat produced an LED chip is not effectively released, its luminous efficiency and lifespan are reduced. Therefore, as a method effectively release heat, an LED PKG substrate containing a heat-releasing material with excellent thermal conductance was fabricated, and its thermal resistance and luminous efficiency were analyzed. In this experiment, a thin polyimide film with excellent ductility was used to fabricate the LED PKG substrate. A 35-μm-thick Cu foil with excellent thermal conductance was subjected to high temperature and pressure and attached to both sides of the polyimide film. By electroplating Ag or Au, which has excellent thermal conductance, for us as the electrode and heat-releasing material, LED PKG substrate was fabricated with a thickness of approximately 170 μm. (-40°C→RT→120°C). The results revealed that the LED PKG substrate having a Ag electrode with excellent thermal conductance had an excellent thermal resistance of approximately 4.2°C/W (Au electrode: 5.6°C/W). The luminous flux after 100 cycles in the thermal shock test was reduced by approximately 0.09% (Au electrode: 2.77%), indicating that the LED PKG substrate had excellent thermal resistance without any mechanical and material defects in a rapid-temperature-changing environment. The advantages and excellent thermal resistance can be exploited in cellular phones and LCD panels, and heat-releasing problems in thin panels be solved.