​Organizations use open innovation to access more diverse sources of ideas and talent. The goal is to find opportunities to solve unmet needs with the help of the right partnerships. INAM organises and hosts Open Innovation Challenges on behalf of their members as well as any interested parties who would like to expand the innovation potential of their organization.

This Open Innovation Challenge is based on Infineon’s search for thermal interface solutions for highly reliable and best in class power modules.

THE BRIEF

You can find power modules in general purpose drives, traction, servo-units and renewable energy applications like solar inverters, energy storage systems or wind applications. They cover a wide range of a few hundred Watts to several Megawatts.

However, with the ongoing demand and system requirements to increase the power density in power electronics, the thermal interface between power module and heatsink becomes an even more important role. A thermal interface material must not only provide the lowest thermal resistance, but also fulfil the highest quality standards given for power modules to achieve the longest lifetime and highest system reliability.

As the market leader in power modules, Infineon has created this challenge to find thermal interface material solutions for highly reliable and best in class power modules.

BENEFITS

The winning team(s) will see their solution entering the market within the Infineon power module product portfolio.

PRODUCT/MATERIAL REQUIREMENTS

The idea should focus on thermal interface materials based on foils, pastes, or potential other solutions. Foils and pastes ideally should meet the main requirements. These main requirements can be found on the challenge’s landing page on the INAM website:

https://www.inam.berlin/thermal-interface-materials-challenge

PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS

The challenge is open to university research groups, research centers, individual inventors or startups who have developed an innovative technology that could be used to address the described challenge.

TIMELINE

Applications are open now until the 12 September 2021. Soon after, the finalists will be selected and their presentations will be given in early October 2021. The winner (s) will be announced by mid-October 2021.

To apply, head to the Challenge’s F6S page:

https://www.f6s.com/thermal-interface-materials-challenge/apply