Efficient Measurement of Thermal Coupling Effects on Multichip Light-Emitting Diodes

With the emerging market for multichip module based high-power LED systems, the demand for advanced thermal management techniques has been steadily growing. This paper presents a model developed by the authors for thermal coupling matrix that can calculate temperature distribution at a given heat power of each chip. The model significantly simplifies the task of measuring thermal coupling effect on multichip light-emitting diodes with symmetrical structure, while simultaneously preserving temperature accuracy. The modeling technique was validated experimentally on three-, four-, and six-chip rectangular modules, and a ten-chip circular module, by infrared thermography and transient thermal measuring system, respectively. The modeling technique was found to be more efficient especially for large systems. The model offers a rapid way to predict thermal coupling behaviors of multichip LED systems.