Embedded Die Substrate: The Package That Stops Holding Wide Bandgap Power Back

Oct 2026

GaN and SiC transistors can switch extremely fast, but conventional packaging adds inductance and layers of thermal resistance that force designers to slow down and derate. TCLAD’s Embedded Die Substrate (EDS) removes both limits in one architecture. Bare die sit directly in thick copper, attached with sintered silver and connected through laser-drilled microvias, with no wire bonds and no TIM. The result is 1–2 nH power loop inductance, less than 2% voltage overshoot, up to 6× faster switching, and just two thermal interfaces between junction and heatsink. Download the technical overview to see how EDS works and how it compares.

High-Power Thermal Management: Two-Layer IMS Design Considerations

Sept 2026

Heat removal, not switching speed, now limits high-power electronics design. Chris Parker makes the case for two-layer insulated metal substrate (IMS) over FR-4 with dense thermal via arrays: a conductive dielectric bonded to a metal baseplate spreads heat across the full board instead of funneling it through via clusters. He walks through aluminum vs. copper baseplates, copper-weight limits, dielectric thickness and partial discharge. A Texas Instruments GaN inverter test measured roughly 45% higher junction-to-ambient thermal resistance on FR-4 than on IMS.

TCLAD SPL-15 Viable Solution to Replace DBC

Dec 2025

TCLAD’s SPL-15 delivers 10 W/m·K dielectric thermal conductivity and a 270°C glass transition temperature, putting it squarely in DBC territory for power module thermal performance, without the fragility. At 30 GPa Young’s modulus versus 250–370 GPa for conventional DBC ceramics, SPL-15 absorbs CTE mismatch stress that cracks ceramic substrates over thousands of thermal cycles. For SiC IGBT modules, high-power LEDs, and laser modules, that means equivalent thermal performance, dramatically lower long-term failure risk, and a cost-effective, RoHS-compliant process path.

Thermal and Reliability Optimization of IMS Substrates for Power Modules

Nov 2025

A joint study by National Sun Yat-sen University, ASE Group, and North Carolina State University, with TCLAD support, delivers the FEA and experimental data power module designers need to justify IMS over silicon nitride AMB ceramic substrates. An asymmetric IMS structure with an optimized top copper thickness achieves near-equivalent thermal resistance to Si₃N₄ AMB, at tenfold lower warpage and with robust dielectric insulation strength intact. For engineers weighing IMS against ceramic on cost, reliability, and thermal performance, this paper provides the head-to-head numbers to close the argument.

Hot Spots & Cool Tricks: Taming Heat in High-Power PCBs

June 2025

TCLAD’s SFL-12 dielectric runs at 3.2 W/m·K  more than 10 times the thermal conductivity of standard FR4. In controlled head-to-head testing at Rochester Institute of Technology, using FLIR thermal imaging on identical six-layer stackups under the same power load, SFL-12 boards ran up to 27°C cooler than their FR4 counterparts. Add TCLAD Surface Mount Thermal Bridge (SMTB) components and the margin widens further. This paper documents the test methodology, board construction, and initial results, the performance case for SFL-12 as a drop-in FR4 replacement for high-power PCB applications.

Dielectric Materials for IMS® Applications Provide Durable Thermal Management Solutions for High-Power Electronics

June 2025

TCLAD dielectric materials offer many advantages in power conversion applications. Their excellent insulation properties allow them to withstand high voltages and electric fields without breaking down. In addition, they are resistant to moisture, contaminants and temperature fluctuations.

Insulated Metal Substrate (IMS®) with Embedded Thermal Pyrolytic Graphite (TPG) for Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor Power Modules

February 2024

Next-generation power electronics demand innovative technologies. While wide-bandgap semiconductors are capable of superior performance under extreme conditions, this ability is useless without advancements in the substrates upon which these devices are mounted.

TCLAD Application Spotlight: Advanced Heat Dissipation Solutions for EV Applications

August 2021

TCLAD’s Insulated Metal Substrates (IMS®) are key components in powertrain inverters and DC-DC power conversion systems. We work closely with our customers during the design phase to tailor thermal management solutions for their specific high power-density applications — helping them meet the strict safety, durability, and efficiency requirements of today’s demanding EV platforms.

TCLAD Application Spotlight: Solutions for Industrial Motion Control

July 2021

TCLAD’s Thermal Clad Insulated Metal Substrates (IMS®) support industrial motion control systems. Design engineers are taking advantage of TCLAD’s high-reliability solution for use in critical industrial applications. We work closely with our customers to set new levels of motion-control performance, connectivity, and flexibility.