A.L.M.T. Corp
About: Tomohiro Takida - Chief Engineer of the Thermal Management Division
Mr. Takida is the Chief Engineer of the Thermal Management Division at A.L.M.T. Corp. After joining the company, he worked on the development of heat-resistant materials, molybdenum and tungsten, and obtained a Ph.D. in engineering through his work on controlling the microstructure of molybdenum. Currently, he is building on this fundamental technology by working on the material and technology development of heat spreaders, with a particular focus on expanding business in the mobility sector and developing new markets for the future.
1. Mr. Takida, could you please give us a brief overview of A.L.M.T. Corp.?
A.L.M.T. Corp. operates in growth sectors such as semiconductors, communications (5G), mobility, healthcare, and energy. We leverage our expertise in the refining, materials production, and processing technology of high-melting-point metal materials, such as tungsten and molybdenum, along with the manufacturing and high-precision processing technology of diamond precision tools. As a key player in the Industrial Materials Group of the Sumitomo Electric Group, we engage in a comprehensive manufacturing process from raw materials to finished products. We focus on product development that maximizes material properties through our advanced material, manufacturing, and processing technologies, thereby effectively meeting our customers' needs.
2. Could you please tell us about your approach to the mobility sector?
Our low-expansion and high-thermal-conductivity products are used in power semiconductor products such as inverters and ECUs for xEV drive motors, boasting over 40 years of adoption in automotive applications. In inverters, they are adopted as heat spreaders in power modules, which convert the direct current power supplied from the battery into alternating current power.
3. From your perspective, what trends in the automotive industry do you believe are shaping the sector?
Nearly half of the world's electricity demand is consumed by motors. High-power motors are driven by inverters that use power semiconductors. We believe that the trends will shift toward increased efficiency, miniaturization, and high-temperature operation through the use of SiC (silicon carbide) technology.
4. Could you please tell us about your approach to that trend?
In particular, improving the reliability of power modules is challenging at high temperature. At elevated temperatures, the mismatch in thermal expansion between semiconductor devices and interconnect materials can lead to a reduction in the reliability at the junction. At A.L.M.T. Corp., we propose, provide, and develop low-expansion, high-thermal-conductivity heat spreaders to address this thermal expansion mismatch, tailored to our customers' requirements.
5. Lastly, what new technology can you offer in the future?
In the future, the demand of power modules that save energy and power and minimize electricity waste will be increased and heat spreader that dissipate the heat from semiconductor chips will be required, so we are developing materials with even higher thermal conductivity. We would like to work with our customers to solve thermal problems by incorporating CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) and the latest technology.
We offer a range of materials that combine copper and molybdenum, featuring various high thermal conductivity and linear expansion coefficients. For more information, please visit our website: https://www.allied-material.co.jp/en.html