The 31st international workshop on THERMal INvestigations of ICs and systems (THERMINIC) took place on 24–26 September 2025 in Naples, Italy, hosted at the Centro Congressi (Conference Center) of University Federico II. This year’s workshop not only broke attendance records but also showcased the seamless integration of cutting-edge research and industrial innovation in the field of thermal management of electronics. The event was generously supported by the traditional industry sponsors Huawei, Siemens, and NANOTEST.
The local organizer and program chair Vincenzo d’Alessandro (Full Professor of Electronics at University Federico II) aimed to combine scientific rigor with a collaborative and warm atmosphere. He was locally supported by effe erre Congressi and collaborated with MCC Berlin for the management of the official website and the ConfTool submission platform. The event attracted a record-breaking number of 140 participants from 24 countries, witnessing its global appeal. Of these, 123 delegates came from Europe, namely, 37 from Italy, 21 from Germany, 10 from Hungary, 7 each from France and Ireland, 6 from Belgium and the UK, 5 from Spain and the Netherlands, and others from many corners of the continent. Asia contributed 11 participants (predominantly from the Republic of Korea) and 6 from North and South America (3 from Canada, 2 from Brazil, and 1 from the USA).
The audience, representing both academia (58%) and industry (42%), reflected the true spirit of THERMINIC, a unique blend of research excellence and industrial innovation. Participants came with a wealth of expertise, ranging from advanced technology development to strategic industrial management. The scientific program was very comprehensive and dense, including three keynote lectures delivered by outstanding Italian speakers, and a record-breaking number of 98 presentations, namely, 62 talks and 36 posters.
A short course preceding the Workshop (23 September) entitled “Fundamentals of thermal and thermomechanical modeling for electronics reliability” was delivered by Wendy Luiten, WLC, The Netherlands, and John H. J. Janssen, NXP Semiconductors. The course attracted 12 participants, all of whom reported a high level of satisfaction for its clarity, practical insights, and hands-on approach.
The first day of the Workshop kicked off with a keynote by Andrea Irace, Full Professor of Electronics at University Federico II, entitled: “Out-of-SOA electrothermal limitations of power semiconductor devices: Characterization and modeling.” The morning continued with a vendor session, followed by sessions dealing with cooling approaches for devices, packages, and systems, paralleled with sessions focusing on the thermal management of batteries. This was followed by the first poster introduction and oral sessions that explored cooling approaches and advanced packaging solutions. The first day ended with the Welcome Cocktail at Circolo Canottieri, a prestigious nautical club on the waterfront, commonly regarded as a temple of sport in Naples, its water polo team being one of the most important in Europe. The attendees were provided with a scenic and convivial setting to initiate networking and exchange ideas.
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The second day began with a keynote speech delivered by Claudio M. Villa from STMicroelectronics, Agrate Brianza, Italy, entitled: “From thermal resistance to power efficient thermal design: Is thermal still the Cinderella of semiconductor industry?” The day continued with parallel sessions focusing on thermal measurement techniques and advances in thermal modeling and simulations. Then, the introduction of the second poster session took place, followed by the poster viewing. The day culminated with the gala dinner at Villa Doria d’Angri, a neoclassical villa beautifully located on the Posillipo hill, which offers panoramic views of the city and the sparkling coastline of the Gulf of Naples. The villa’s elegant architecture, ornate interiors, and the exotic charm of its octagonal Chinese pagoda created an enchanting setting. The evening combined fine dining and lively exchange, providing the perfect opportunity for informal discussions and inspiring interaction after a day of stimulating presentations.
The third and final day opened with a keynote presentation given by Filippo Cataldo, Wieland Thermal Solutions, entitled: “Data center direct-to-chip cooling with two-phase heat exchangers: Challenges and possible solutions.” The program continued with oral sessions dedicated to thermal management in power electronics and thermal investigation of LEDs and solar cells. The Workshop closed with the announcement of the Best Paper, the Best Poster, and the Best Young Researcher Awards to the audience.
The recipients of the Awards received state-of-the-art electronic products donated by Huawei. The Best Paper Award went to Vincenzo Terracciano for his paper entitled “Electrothermal performance enhancement of silicon carbide Gate-All-Around MOSFETs using a ferroelectric gate stack.” The Best Poster Award was won by Yanan Wu for her work entitled “Failure analysis for electronic packaging materials: A comparative study of pulsed and lock-in thermography.” The Best Young Presenter Award was given to Maik Sternberg for his paper on “Thermal resistance based reliability of TIM1 materials in a lidded thermal test vehicle under active thermal load cycling”.
The participants took leave of each other, looking forward to meeting again in Berlin for the 32nd edition.
The Proceedings of accepted papers are already available on IEEE Xplore, while a dedicated Special Issue in the MDPI Journal Energies entitled: “Advances in Thermal Management and Reliability of Electronic Systems,” also coordinated by Prof. d’Alessandro, will publish extended versions of selected papers presented at THERMINIC 2025 (with at least 50% of new content), as well as other contributions aligning with the scope, topics, and leitmotif of the Workshop.
