An investigation of the sensitivity of embedded passive component temperatures to PCB structure

The embedding of passive components such as resistors, capacitors and inductors within printed circuit boards (PCBs) is motivated, to a large extent, by the desire for increased miniaturization of electronic goods. However, resistors and, to a lesser extent, inductors are heat generating devices, and the temperature developed within PCBs as the result of the operation of embedded passives is an important aspect of multilayer PCB design. Many factors can influence the generation of heat inside such embedded structures, and, in this paper, validated numerical simulations are used to investigate the temperature rises associated with embedded resistors. Sensitivity of temperature rises to PCB structural changes are investigated in terms of embedded resistor temperature and in terms of interaction with other neighboring components on the same and adjacent component layers.