Laird's New Tlam OptoTEC Series Built on Thermally Conductive Circuit Boards

By DE Editors

Laird announced a new series of miniature thermoelectric modules (TEMs) built using Laird Tlam thermally conductive circuit boards instead of traditional ceramic-based circuit boards. The Tlam OptoTEC series is designed for applications where temperature stabilization of sensitive optical components in photonics, telecom, medical and consumer markets is critical, the company says.

Tlam is used in applications where the components in the circuit produce a lot of heat, such as high powered LEDs, power supplies or motor drives. The circuit boards feature a thin layer of thermally conductive dielectric material sandwiched between a top layer of standard copper foil and a thick metal backing plate for structural strength and improved heat spreading. The heat is transported off the bottom of the circuit board where the metal backing plate carries heat laterally away from hot components, reducing their temperature and extending their lifetime, the company says.

The Tlam OptoTEC series includes seven new modules that can create a temperature differential of up to 67 degrees C and pump from 1.5 to 9.0 watts of heat at an ambient temperature of 25 degrees C. The modules have passed Telcordia GR-468-CORE Issue 2 reliability qualification testing and are customizable to accommodate alternate sizes, heat pumping capacities, unique circuit patterns and pre-tinning requirements.

For more information, visit Laird.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company's website.