Thermische Ausdehnung,innere Spannungen und Porenverteilung in AlSiCp Metallmatrix‐ verbundwerkstoffen

Thermal expansion, internal stresses and porosity distribution in AlSiCp MMC AlSi7Mg/SiC/70p (AlSiC) is used for heat sinks because of its good thermal conductivity combined with a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE). These properties are important for power electronic devices where heat sinks have to provide efficient heat transfer to a cooling device. A low CTE is essential for a good surface bonding of the heat sink material to the isolating ceramics. Otherwise mismatch in thermal expansion would lead to damage of the bonding degrading the thermal contact within the electronic package. Therefore AlSiC replaces increasingly copper heat sinks. The CTE mismatch between isolation and a conventional metallic heat sink is transferred into the metal matrix composite (MMC). The stability of the external and internal interface bonding is essential for the heat sink function of AlSiC. In situ thermal cycling (RT – 400 °C) measurements of an AlSi7Mg/SiC/70p MMC are reported yielding the pore volume fraction and internal stresses between the matrix and the reinforcements in function of temperature. The changes in pore volume fractions are determined by synchrotron tomography and residual stresses by synchrotron diffraction at ESRF‐ID15A. The measurements show a relationship between thermal expansion, residual stresses and pore formation in the MMC. The results obtained from the in situ measurements reveal a thermo elastic range with inversion of the dominant tensile stresses in the matrix into compressive up to 200 °C followed by plastic matrix deformation reducing the volume of pores during heating. A reverse process takes place during cooling from 500 °C starting with elastic matrix strains converting into tensile stresses increasing the pore volume fraction again. Below 200 °C, the CTE behaves again according to thermo elastic calculations. Damage like in low cycle fatigue could be observed after multiple extreme cooling‐heating cycles between –100 °C and +400 °C, which increase the volume fraction and the size of the voids.