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60 The PCB Magazine • November 2015 Which technology is suitable for which task? The technology to be used is determined by the requirements of the application. For example, the number of grids carrying high currents determines whether a heavy cop- per board (many grids) or an inlay board (few grids) will be used. If a combination of logic and power circuitry is to be implemented in a single circuit board, the Power Combi Board is available for this purpose. The Smart p² Pack is the perfect solution if very limited installation space is available, cir- cuit losses must be minimized and maximum electric and thermal performance is required in limited space. Summary Power electronics have entered the high-vol- ume market as a result of increased electrification of the power train and auxiliary units in motor vehicles. This has pushed the demand for minia- turization and cost reduction as an electric drive has to be installed in addition to the combustion engine and as many useful additional electric auxiliary units must be installed in the installa- tion space that has always been very limited. This trend requires electronic substrates ca- pable of handling very high electric power at very low losses. Due to the limited installation space, locations with high ambient tempera- tures must be used as well, resulting in more de- manding temperature requirements. With the new highly temperature-resistant materials and high-current technologies de- scribed, future applications can be increasingly based on circuit board technology. PCB ConDUCTInG Very HIGH CUrrenTS THroUGH PCB SUBSTrATeS AT HIGH AMBIenT TeMPerATUreS ArTiCle Figure 13: overview of requirement and solution concepts. Thomas Gottwald is director of innovation at Schweizer electronic ag. Christian rößle is vice president, sales & marketing, and director of embedding/systems with Schweizer electronic ag.