Power resistor with integrated heat spreader

A method of fabricating an integrated assembly of a resistor and a heat spreader, comprising:

• forming the heat spreader by fabricating thermally conducting terminations on a thermally conducting and electrically insulating heat sink, wherein the heat sink and the terminations are in thermally conducting contact with one another;
• forming a resistor by fabricating electrically conducting terminals in electrical contact with a resistive element;
• and
• joining the heat spreader to the resistor by:
• bonding at least a portion of a top surface of the resistive element to the heat sink to form thermally conductive contact between the resistive element and the heat sink;
• and
• bonding each of the electrically conducting terminals to a corresponding one of the terminations to form thermally and electrically conductive contact between the terminals and the terminations.

An integrated assembly of a resistor and a heat spreader, comprising:

• a resistor comprising:
• a resistive element having a top surface;
• and
• terminals in electrical contact with the resistive element;
• and
• a heat spreader integrated with the resistor, the heat spreader comprising:
• a heat sink comprising a piece of thermally conducting and electrically insulating material;
• and
• terminations comprised of a thermally conducting material and situated at an edge of the heat sink;
• wherein at least a portion of the top surface of the resistive element is in thermally conductive contact with the heat sink;
• and
• each terminal is in thermally conductive contact with a corresponding one of the terminations.

A method of fabricating an integrated assembly of a resistor and a heat spreader, comprising:

• forming the heat spreader by fabricating thermally conducting terminations on a thermally conducting and electrically insulating heat sink, wherein the heat sink and the terminations are in thermally conducting contact with one another;
• forming a resistor by fabricating electrically conducting terminals in electrical contact with a resistive element;
• and
• joining the heat spreader to the resistor by:
• bonding at least a portion of a top surface of the resistive element to the heat sink to form thermally conductive contact between the resistive element and the heat sink;
• and
• bonding each of the electrically conducting terminals to a corresponding one of the terminations to form thermally conductive contact between the terminals and the terminations.