{"id":40323,"date":"2025-12-15T19:25:00","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T01:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/flex.com\/resources\/thermal-paths-and-the-impact-of-open-deck-baseplates-in-dc-dc-converters"},"modified":"2026-03-17T16:38:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T21:38:40","slug":"thermal-paths-and-the-impact-of-open-deck-baseplates-in-dc-dc-converters","status":"publish","type":"resource","link":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/resources\/thermal-paths-and-the-impact-of-open-deck-baseplates-in-dc-dc-converters","title":{"rendered":"Thermische Pfade und die Auswirkungen von \u201cOpen-Deck\u201d-Grundplatten in DC\/DC-Wandlern"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"overscroll-top\" style=\"background-color: #eaeef4;\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"resource-header block\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"breadcrumb\">\n\t\t\t<a title=\"Homepage\" href=\"\/\">Flex<\/a>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M365.3 256l-22.6 22.6-192 192L128 493.3 82.7 448l22.6-22.6L274.7 256 105.4 86.6 82.7 64 128 18.7l22.6 22.6 192 192L365.3 256z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t<a title=\"Resources\" href=\"\/resources\">Resources<\/a>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 384 512\"><path d=\"M365.3 256l-22.6 22.6-192 192L128 493.3 82.7 448l22.6-22.6L274.7 256 105.4 86.6 82.7 64 128 18.7l22.6 22.6 192 192L365.3 256z\"\/><\/svg>\n\t\t\t<a title=\"Thermal paths and the impact of \u201copen-deck\u201d baseplates in DC\/DC converters\">Thermal paths and the impact of \u201copen-deck\u201d baseplates in DC\/DC converters<\/a>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<h1>Thermal paths and the impact of \u201copen-deck\u201d baseplates in DC\/DC converters<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"separator\"><\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"details\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"date detail\">\n\t\t\t\tPosted on<br>\n\t\t\t\tDezember 15, 2025\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"categories\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"categories-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"cat-tag\">Blog<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cat-tag\" data-cat-level=\"3\" data-destination=\"https:\/\/flex.com\/industries\/data-center?subcategories=data-center-power#resources\" href=\"https:\/\/flex.com\/industries\/data-center?subcategories=data-center-power#resources\">Data Center Power<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"cat-tag\" data-cat-level=\"2\" data-destination=\"\/power-modules#resources\" href=\"\/power-modules#resources\">Power Modules<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"sidebar block normal-sidebar\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" id=\"h-introduction\" style=\"font-weight:600\">Introduction<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thermal management has become a critical topic in modern electronics. Large-scale server farms and power systems increasingly highlight their cooling capabilities-and for good reasons. Efficient heat dissipation directly impacts <strong>performance, reliability, and efficiency<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88ed9378e5\" class=\"columns block\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 .column, #id-69d88ed9378e5 .wp-block-acf-column {\n\t\t\tpadding: 0 18px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container.show-rules .column+.column, #id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container.show-rules .wp-block-acf-column+.wp-block-acf-column {\n\t\t\tborder-color: rgba(38, 38, 38, 0.2);\n\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 .column, #id-69d88ed9378e5 .wp-block-acf-column {\n\t\t\t.code.block {\n\t\t\t\t.container {\n\t\t\t\t\t.tagembed-widget {\n\t\t\t\t\t\tmax-width: 600px;\n\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1320px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container {\n\t\t\t\tdisplay: block;\n\t\t\t\tmax-width: 600px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1320px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container > .column, #id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container > .wp-block-acf-column {\n\t\t\t\tpadding: 36px 0 0 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1320px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container > .column:first-child, #id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container > .wp-block-acf-column:first-child {\n\t\t\t\tpadding: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1320px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container.show-rules .column+.column, #id-69d88ed9378e5 > .container.show-rules .wp-block-acf-column+.wp-block-acf-column {\n\t\t\t\tborder-left: none;\n\t\t\t\tborder-top: 1px solid rgba(38, 38, 38, 0.2);\n\t\t\t\tpadding: 30px 0 0 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin-top: 30px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container align-center\">\n\t\t\n<div class=\"column block\">\n\t\n<div id=\"id_69d88ed9317e2\" class=\"media block\">\n\t<div class=\"container media-center \">\n\t\t<div class=\"media\" style=\"left: 0px; min-width: 100%; max-width: 100%;\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"image none\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"BMR491 Isolated DC\/DC converter\" src=\"https:\/\/flex.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/BMR491-isolated-dcdc-converter-close-crop-transparent.png\" title=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t<script>\n\t(function () {\n\t\tlet hasRun_id_69d88ed9317e2 = false;\n\t\tfunction updateVideoDisplay_id_69d88ed9317e2() {\n\t\t\tconst youtubeVideoId = \"\";\n\t\t\tconst bynderID = \"\";\n\t\t\tconst mediaType = \"image\";\n\t\t\tconst mediaVideoElement = document.getElementById('media-video-id_69d88ed9317e2');\n\t\t\tconst bodyClass = document.body.className || '';\n\t\t\tconst match = bodyClass.match(\/translatepress-([a-z]{2})(?:_[A-Z]{2})?\/i);\n\t\t\tconst currentLanguage = match ? match[1].toLowerCase() : 'en';\n\t\t\tconst isChineseLang = currentLanguage === 'zh';\n\t\t\tconsole.log('isChineseLang:', isChineseLang);\n\t\t\tconsole.log('Language detected:', currentLanguage);\n\t\t\tconst isValidYouTube = youtubeVideoId && \/^[A-Za-z0-9_-]{11}$\/.test(youtubeVideoId);\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tif (!mediaVideoElement || mediaType !== \"video\") return;\n\t\t\tmediaVideoElement.innerHTML = ''; \/\/ Clear existing content\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tlet videoSourceClass = 'fallback-error';\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\tif (isChineseLang) {\n\t\t\t\tif (bynderID) {\n\t\t\t\t\tvideoSourceClass = 'bynder';\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t} else {\n\t\t\t\tif (isValidYouTube) {\n\t\t\t\t\tvideoSourceClass = 'youtube';\n\t\t\t\t} else if (bynderID) {\n\t\t\t\t\tvideoSourceClass = 'bynder';\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\/\/ Apply layout class (used in SCSS)\n\t\t\tmediaVideoElement.className = 'video ' + videoSourceClass;\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\/\/ CASE: Chinese language\n\t\t\tif (isChineseLang) {\n\t\t\t\tif (bynderID) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Load Bynder\n\t\t\t\t\tif (!document.getElementById('bynder-widgets-js')) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\tconst script = document.createElement('script');\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src = 'https:\/\/d8ejoa1fys2rk.cloudfront.net\/bynder-embed\/latest\/bynder-embed.js';\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.id = 'bynder-widgets-js';\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute('data-account-url', 'https:\/\/brandcenter.flex.com');\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute('data-language', 'zh');\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script);\n\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tconst bynderDiv = document.createElement('div');\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.id = 'bynder-id_69d88ed9317e2';\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.className = 'video-bynder';\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.setAttribute('data-bynder-widget', 'video-item');\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.setAttribute('data-media-id', bynderID);\n\t\t\t\t\tmediaVideoElement.appendChild(bynderDiv);\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(() => {\n\t\t\t\t\t\tif (typeof BynderEmbed !== 'undefined' && typeof BynderEmbed.load === 'function') {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBynderEmbed.load();\n\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t}, 500);\n\t\t\t\t} else {\n\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ No Bynder = error (even if YouTube is valid)\n\t\t\t\t\tshowVideoError();\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\/\/ CASE: Not Chinese\n\t\t\t} else {\n\t\t\t\tif (isValidYouTube) {\n\t\t\t\t\tconst iframe = document.createElement('iframe');\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.id = 'youtube-id_69d88ed9317e2';\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.className = 'video-youtube';\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.src = 'https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/' + youtubeVideoId + '?rel=0';\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.frameBorder = '0';\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.playsInline = true;\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.allow = 'encrypted-media';\n\t\t\t\t\tiframe.allowFullscreen = true;\n\t\t\t\t\tmediaVideoElement.appendChild(iframe);\n\t\t\t\t} else if (bynderID) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Load Bynder (fallback if no YouTube)\n\t\t\t\t\tif (!document.getElementById('bynder-widgets-js')) {\n\t\t\t\t\t\tconst script = document.createElement('script');\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src = 'https:\/\/d8ejoa1fys2rk.cloudfront.net\/bynder-embed\/latest\/bynder-embed.js';\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.id = 'bynder-widgets-js';\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute('data-account-url', 'https:\/\/brandcenter.flex.com');\n\t\t\t\t\t\tscript.setAttribute('data-language', currentLanguage);\n\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script);\n\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tconst bynderDiv = document.createElement('div');\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.id = 'bynder-id_69d88ed9317e2';\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.className = 'video-bynder';\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.setAttribute('data-bynder-widget', 'video-item');\n\t\t\t\t\tbynderDiv.setAttribute('data-media-id', bynderID);\n\t\t\t\t\tmediaVideoElement.appendChild(bynderDiv);\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tsetTimeout(() => {\n\t\t\t\t\t\tif (typeof BynderEmbed !== 'undefined' && typeof BynderEmbed.load === 'function') {\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBynderEmbed.load();\n\t\t\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t\t\t}, 500);\n\t\t\t\t} else {\n\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ No valid YouTube or Bynder = error\n\t\t\t\t\tshowVideoError();\n\t\t\t\t}\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t\tfunction showVideoError() {\n\t\t\t\tconst errorDiv = document.createElement('div');\n\t\t\t\terrorDiv.id = 'video-error-id_69d88ed9317e2';\n\t\t\t\terrorDiv.className = 'video-error';\n\t\t\t\terrorDiv.innerHTML = `\n\t\t\t\t\t<div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3>Video Unavailable<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>The content you\u2019re seeking is momentarily unavailable. We appreciate your patience and look forward to sharing it with you soon.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t`;\n\t\t\t\tmediaVideoElement.appendChild(errorDiv);\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\tfunction runVideoInjection() {\n\t\t\tif (hasRun_id_69d88ed9317e2) return;\n\t\t\thasRun_id_69d88ed9317e2 = true;\n\t\t\tupdateVideoDisplay_id_69d88ed9317e2();\n\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t\/\/ Always run on front-end\n\t\tif (document.readyState === 'loading') {\n\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', runVideoInjection);\n\t\t} else {\n\t\t\trunVideoInjection();\n\t\t}\n\t\t\n\t\t\/\/ Also run in editor if available\n\t\tif (typeof wp !== 'undefined' && wp.domReady) {\n\t\t\twp.domReady(runVideoInjection);\n\t\t}\n\t})();\n\t<\/script>\n\t\n\t<script>\n\t\tdocument.addEventListener('DOMContentLoaded', function () {\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\/\/ Get the block element by ID\n\t\t\tvar blockElement = document.getElementById(\"id_69d88ed9317e2\");\n\t\t\tif (!blockElement) return;\n\t\n\t\t\t\/\/ Reveal the block\n\t\t\t(function ($) {\n\t\t\t\tScrollReveal().reveal(blockElement.querySelector(\".container .media\"), {origin: \"bottom\", distance: \"20px\", opacity: 1, duration: 1000});\n\t\t\t\tScrollReveal().reveal(blockElement.querySelector(\".container .content\"), {origin: \"bottom\", distance: \"20px\", opacity: 1, duration: 1000});\n\t\t\t}(jQuery));\n\t\t});\n\t<\/script>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center has-small-font-size\"><em>BMR491 with open deck baseplate<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n<div class=\"column block\">\n\t\n\n<p>When it comes to DC\/DC converters, understanding thermal flow is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This blog explores how thermal systems work, why bottlenecks occur, and how design choices such as \u201copen-deck\u201d baseplates that don\u2019t cover the entire surface area of the DC\/DC converter affect overall thermal performance.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"sidebar normal-column\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a title=\"Thermal model BMR316\" class=\"image\" href=\"https:\/\/flex.com\/downloads\/thermal-model-bmr316\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Thermal model BMR316\" src=\"https:\/\/flex.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/TM-BMR316-540x304.png\" title=\"\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"label\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThermal Model\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<a title=\"Thermal model BMR316\" class=\"title\" href=\"https:\/\/flex.com\/downloads\/thermal-model-bmr316\" target=\"_self\">\n\t\t\t\t\tThermal model BMR316\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88edfb6603\" class=\"box block full-width dark-content de \" style=\"background-color: #ffffffff; background-image: none;\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88edfb6603 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\tbackground-color: #ffffffff;\n\t\t\tposition: relative;\n\t\t\tpadding-top: 48px;\n\t\t\tpadding-right: 0px;\n\t\t\tpadding-bottom: 96px;\n\t\t\tpadding-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-right: 0px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1272px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb6603.box.block.full-width > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb6603 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-top: 24px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0px;\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-bottom: 48px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">1. The fundamentals of thermal flow<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Every component in a thermal system can be classified as one or a mix of:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Heat Source<\/strong> \u2014 Components generating heat (e.g., transistors, transformers)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heat Dissipator<\/strong> \u2014 Surfaces or structures that release heat into air or liquid<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Heat Conductor<\/strong> \u2014 Materials that transport heat between sources and dissipators<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88edfb2508\" class=\"box block content-width dark-content de \" style=\"background-color: transparent; background-image: none;\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88edfb2508 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\tbackground-color: #eaeef4ff;\n\t\t\tposition: relative;\n\t\t\tpadding-top: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-right: 36px;\n\t\t\tpadding-bottom: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-left: 36px;\n\t\t\tmargin-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-right: 0px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1272px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb2508.box.block.full-width > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb2508 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-top: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 18px;\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-bottom: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 18px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\" id=\"h-heat-sources\">Heat Sources<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>In DC\/DC converters, heat sources include components carrying electrical current or magnetic fields. Losses in these materials create heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"spacer block\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88edfb3e27\" class=\"box block content-width dark-content de \" style=\"background-color: transparent; background-image: none;\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88edfb3e27 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\tbackground-color: #eaeef4ff;\n\t\t\tposition: relative;\n\t\t\tpadding-top: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-right: 36px;\n\t\t\tpadding-bottom: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-left: 36px;\n\t\t\tmargin-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-right: 0px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1272px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb3e27.box.block.full-width > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb3e27 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-top: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 18px;\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-bottom: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 18px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\" id=\"h-heat-dissipators\">Heat Dissipators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Heatsinks and airflow systems dissipate heat to the air. Their efficiency depends on <strong>surface area, design, and airflow<\/strong>. Thermal resistance measures how much temperature rises for a given power loss.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"spacer block\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88edfb45eb\" class=\"box block content-width dark-content de \" style=\"background-color: transparent; background-image: none;\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88edfb45eb > .container > .content {\n\t\t\tbackground-color: #eaeef4ff;\n\t\t\tposition: relative;\n\t\t\tpadding-top: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-right: 36px;\n\t\t\tpadding-bottom: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-left: 36px;\n\t\t\tmargin-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-right: 0px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1272px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb45eb.box.block.full-width > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb45eb > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-top: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 18px;\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-bottom: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 18px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\" id=\"h-heat-conductors\">Heat Conductors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Metals like copper, but also even ceramics are excellent thermal conductors. Copper is particularly interesting because it conducts both electricity and heat. However, when copper traces carry current, they also generate heat, turning a conductor into a source. This dynamic nature explains why <strong>thermal resistance is not a fixed value<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">2. Thermal mass and time constants<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Materials have thermal mass &#8211; the energy required to change their temperature. Air has a low thermal mass, while water has a high thermal mass. This affects <strong>transient thermal behavior<\/strong> due to differing thermal time constants within the system:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>FET die: <strong>10\u201350 ms<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DC\/DC converter: <strong>2\u201310 s<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete system: <strong>minutes<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This means that field effect transistors (FETs) react quickly to load changes and rapidly change temperature, while the larger system responds more slowly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">3. Designing for thermal efficiency<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The goal is simple: <strong>minimize thermal resistance near heat sources<\/strong> and progressively spread heat to larger areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A FET with a 2\u00d72 mm thermal pad dissipating 1 W \u2192 <strong>250 mW\/mm\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Heat flows to a baseplate and then a heatsink<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Even with an open-deck baseplate (35% open), thermal flow drops to <strong>25 mW\/mm\u00b2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Surprisingly, covering the entire baseplate doesn\u2019t always improve performance, as the bottleneck is usually near the transistors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">4. Heat spreading and heatsinks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Heat spreaders distribute heat in the X-Y plane and increase contact area with heatsinks. However, as heat flow rises, spreading becomes harder \u2014 requiring thicker spreaders.<\/p>\n\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88edfb4ed5\" class=\"box block content-width dark-content de \" style=\"background-color: transparent; background-image: none;\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88edfb4ed5 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\tbackground-color: #eaeef4ff;\n\t\t\tposition: relative;\n\t\t\tpadding-top: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-right: 36px;\n\t\t\tpadding-bottom: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-left: 36px;\n\t\t\tmargin-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-right: 0px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1272px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb4ed5.box.block.full-width > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb4ed5 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-top: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 18px;\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-bottom: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 18px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\" id=\"h-heatsink-design\">Heatsink Design<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The base of the heatsink helps move heat, adding to the dc\/dc baseplate<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The orientation of the fins matters when it comes to heat-spreading<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Surface area and orientation play a large role for performance<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Copper heatsinks perform best in managing uneven heat distribution<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"spacer block\" style=\"height: 24px;\">\n\t<\/div>\n\n<div id=\"id-69d88edfb5595\" class=\"box block content-width dark-content de \" style=\"background-color: transparent; background-image: none;\">\n\t<style>\n\t\t#id-69d88edfb5595 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\tbackground-color: #eaeef4ff;\n\t\t\tposition: relative;\n\t\t\tpadding-top: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-right: 36px;\n\t\t\tpadding-bottom: 24px;\n\t\t\tpadding-left: 36px;\n\t\t\tmargin-left: 0px;\n\t\t\tmargin-right: 0px;\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 1272px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb5595.box.block.full-width > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t\tmargin: 0 !important;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t\t@media (max-width: 960px) {\n\t\t\t#id-69d88edfb5595 > .container > .content {\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-top: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-right: 18px;\n\t\t\t\t\/\/padding-bottom: 12px;\n\t\t\t\tpadding-left: 18px;\n\t\t\t}\n\t\t}\n\t<\/style>\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"content\">\n\t\t\t\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-small-font-size\" id=\"h-thermal-blocks-liquid\">Thermal blocks (liquid)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Thermal blocks excel at removing heat from small contact areas, reducing temperature gradients. But these higher cooling capacities often lead to higher power requirements, creating new challenges.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">5. Open-deck baseplates: pros and cons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Open-deck designs leave gaps for the tall magnetic materials like ferrite, which have <strong>high thermal resistance<\/strong> and low self-heating. Covering these gaps with thin aluminum only helps when the cooling solution cannot bridge the gap.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Integrated heatsink-baseplate designs have been tested and work technically\u2014but commercial adoption remains limited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">6. Thermal modeling<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Thermal analysis is complex, involving multiple sources and conductors. There are typically two approaches:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Empirical Testing<\/strong> \u2014 Measure thermal resistance in controlled environments<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Simulation<\/strong> \u2014 Model during design phase, refine with real-world data<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Modern simulations are increasingly accurate thanks to iterative feedback loops.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\" style=\"font-weight:600\">7. Thermal revolution<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The term might sound bold, but the evolution in thermal design has been nothing short of revolutionary. Looking at Flex Power Modules\u2019 digital quarter-brick converters over the years, output power has increased dramatically\u2014from <strong>400 W to 2 kW continuous power<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What enabled this leap? While improved components and topologies play a role, a significant part of the progress comes from <strong>better thermal properties<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Comparing early <strong>BMR453<\/strong> modules to the latest <a href=\"\/power-module-series\/bmr491\"><strong>BMR491<\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"\/power-module-series\/bmr352\"><strong>BMR352<\/strong><\/a>, thermal resistance from hotspot to baseplate has dropped by <strong>3\u20134 times<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>In practical terms, where the BMR453 could dissipate <strong>25 W<\/strong> to a cold wall, newer products can handle <strong>75\u2013100 W<\/strong> under similar conditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This improvement means that once heat reaches the heatsink, <strong>airflow speed, heatsink size, or even liquid cooling<\/strong> become necessary considerations to unlock full performance potential.<\/p>\n\n\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Haben Sie sich jemals gefragt, warum thermische Engp\u00e4sse auftreten? Dieser Blog erkl\u00e4rt es und zeigt, wie Designentscheidungen, wie beispielsweise die Verwendung von \u201cOpen-Deck\u201d-Grundplatten, die Gesamtleistung Ihres Wandlers erheblich beeinflussen k\u00f6nnen.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":34670,"template":"","categories":[90,97],"tags":[],"content-type":[13],"class_list":["post-40323","resource","type-resource","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-center-power","category-power-modules","content-type-blog"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/40323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/resource"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/18"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/40323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40361,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/resource\/40323\/revisions\/40361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34670"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40323"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40323"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40323"},{"taxonomy":"content-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/flex.com\/de\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/content-type?post=40323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}