On the modeling of the transient thermal behavior of semiconductor devices

A mathematical model of the transient temperature response of integrated devices is presented which takes into account the three-dimensional (3-D) nature of heat flow and the physical structure of the device. Simple analytical relations for the transient thermal impedance and thermal time constants are derived for the first time. The impact of device geometry on the transient thermal response curve is discussed, and simple guidelines for the thermal design of solid-state devices operated in transient or pulsed regime are given.