Nextreme's OptoCooler HV14 Passes 3000g Shock Testing

The MIL-STD 883E Mechanical Shock standard establishes uniform methods, controls, and procedures for characterizing and screening microelectronic devices suitable for use within government and aerospace electronic systems. This includes basic environmental tests to determine resistance to the effects of natural elements and conditions surrounding government and space operations. The shock test is intended to determine the suitability of the devices for use in electronic equipment which may be subjected to severe shocks as a result of suddenly applied forces or abrupt changes in motion.

MIL-STD 883E calls for five shock pulses of 3,000g (peak) with a pulse duration of 0.3 milliseconds in each of the orientations X1, X2, Y1, Y2, Z1, and Z2. The modules showed less than a 5% change in electrical resistance as a result of the stress testing. The test report is available to qualified customers upon request.

The use of thin films in conjunction with our semiconductor-based assembly process reduces the mass of our devices substantively, said Dave Koester, vice president of engineering at Nextreme. Our thermoelectric coolers and power generation devices are inherently more resistant to shock and vibration than standard bulk devices while at the same time providing performance advantages.

The OptoCooler HV14 module is a high voltage and high heat pumping thermoelectric device that is designed to operate at standard electrical power requirements. At 85°C, the HV14 operates at a maximum voltage of 2.7V and can pump 1.5 watts of heat in a footprint of only 3mm². The module can create a maximum temperature differential (ΔT) of up to 60°C between its hot and cold sides with a zero heat load, making it ideally suited for the cooling and temperature control of optoelectronic devices such as laser diodes, avalanche photodiodes and high brightness LEDs.