Wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipes for application in electronic devices with various system platforms

• US 10,694,641 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2016
• Issued: 06/23/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Basu, Sumita, Kulkarni, Shantanu D., Ghosh, Prosenjit, Kouliachev, Konstantin I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hoffberg, Robert J
• Application Number:
  US15/392,589
• Publication Number:
  US 20170318702A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,273 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F28C 3/08 with change of state, e.g. absorption, evaporation, condensation generating steam under pressure F22
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0233 the conduits having a particular shape, e.g. non-circular cross-section, annular F28D15/0241, F28D15/0266 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/025 having non-capillary condensate return means
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0266 with separate evaporating and condensing chambers connected by at least one conduit; Loop-type heat pipes; with multiple or common evaporating or condensing chambers F28D15/043 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0275 Arrangements for coupling heat-pipes together or with other structures, e.g. with base blocks; Heat pipe cores
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/0283 Means for filling or sealing heat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/046 characterised by the material or the construction of the capillary structure
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2015/0225 Microheat pipes
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0029 Heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 13/16 by applying an electrostatic field to the body of the heat-exchange medium
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2215/06 Hollow fins; fins with internal circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/0085 Means for removing heat created by the light source from the package heat extraction or cooling elements for semiconductor light sources in general H01L33/64
• CPC Class Codes: G02F 1/133385 with cooling means, e.g. fans
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/1601 Constructional details related to the housing of computer displays, e.g. of CRT monitors, of flat displays constructional details related to flat displays integrated in a portable computer, e.g. laptop, handheld computer G06F1/1637; constructional details related to television receivers H04N5/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/203 for portable computers, e.g. for laptops
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4846 Leads on or in insulating or insulated substrates, e.g. metallisation H01L21/4821 takes precedence; metallisation of ceramics in general C04B41/51; printed circuits H05K3/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4871 Bases, plates or heatsinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/5389 the chips being integrally enclosed by the interconnect and support structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 : Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0272 : Adaptations for fluid transport, e.g. channels, holes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/185 : Components encapsulated in the insulating substrate of the printed circuit or incorporated in internal layers of a multilayer circuit semiconductor chips encapsulated by interconnect and support structures H01L23/5389, H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/064 : Fluid cooling, e.g. by integral pipes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0017 : Etching of the substrate by chemical or physical means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/0044 : Mechanical working of the substrate, e.g. drilling or punching H05K3/0008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 5/0017 : with operator interface units
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20318 : Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20336 : Heat pipes, e.g. wicks or capillary pumps
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20809 : within server blades for removing heat from heat source

Abstract

A system and method for providing and using wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipes for application in electronic devices with various system platforms are disclosed. An example embodiment includes: a substrate; and a plurality of wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipes embedded in the substrate, each wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a body having a capillary therein with generally square corners and a high energy interior surface, and a highly wettable liquid partially filling the capillary to dissipate heat between an evaporator region and a condenser region.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate including;

a first channel;

a second channel, the first channel substantially parallel to the second channel; and

a third channel, the third channel substantially orthogonal to the second channel;

a first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe embedded in the first channel, the first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a first capillary, the first capillary including;

a first curved wall;

a first linear wall directly coupled to the first curved wall;

a second curved wall;

a second linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall and the second linear wall directly coupled to the first linear wall;

a first substantially square corner formed by the first linear wall and the second linear wall;

a third linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall;

a third curved wall;

a fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third curved wall and the fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third linear wall; and

a second substantially square corner formed by the third linear wall and the fourth linear wall; and

a first amount of a liquid partially filling the first capillary to dissipate heat;

a second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe embedded in the second channel, the second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a second capillary with substantially square corners and a second amount of the liquid partially filling the second capillary to dissipate the heat; and

a third wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe embedded in the third channel, the third wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a third capillary with substantially square corners and a third amount of the liquid partially filling the third capillary to dissipate the heat.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate includes at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic circuit board, a motherboard, a circuit board with embedded integrated circuit (IC) devices, a circuit board with embedded semiconductor or silicon devices, a chassis, a housing, an enclosure, or a support structure of an electronic device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe and the second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe are embedded in the substrate in a substantially cross-pattern orientation.

4. An apparatus comprising:

a substrate;

a first means for dissipating heat, the first means embedded in the substrate; and

a second means for dissipating the heat, the second means embedded in the substrate substantially orthogonal to the first means, respective ones of the first and second means including an in-built channel,

the in-built channel including;

a first curved wall;

a first linear wall directly coupled to the first curved wall;

a second curved wall;

a second linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall and the second linear wall directly coupled to the first linear wall;

a first substantially square corner formed by the first linear wall and the second linear wall;

a third linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall;

a third curved wall;

a fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third curved wall and the fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third linear wall;

a second substantially square corner formed by the third linear wall and the fourth linear wall; and

a fluid partially filling the in-built channel to dissipate the heat between an evaporator region and a condenser region of the in-built channel.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substrate includes at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic circuit board, a motherboard, a circuit board with embedded integrated circuit (IC) devices, a circuit board with embedded semiconductor or silicon devices, a chassis, a housing, an enclosure, or a support structure of an electronic device.

6. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the substrate has a first axis and a second axis orthogonal to the first axis, the first and second means embedded in the substrate in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to one of the first axis or the second axis.

7. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the first and second means are embedded in the substrate in a substantially radial orientation.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least one of the first and second heat means are embedded in the substrate in a substantially cross-pattern orientation.

9. A method comprising:

fabricating an electronic circuit into a substrate, the substrate including a first axis and a second axis, the second axis orthogonal to the first axis;

forming a first channel in the substrate substantially orthogonally to the second axis;

forming a second channel in the substrate substantially orthogonally to the second axis;

forming a third channel in the substrate substantially orthogonally to the first axis;

fabricating a first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe into the first channel, the first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a first capillary, the first capillary including;

a first curved wall;

a first linear wall directly coupled to the first curved wall;

a second curved wall;

a second linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall and the second linear wall directly coupled to the first linear wall;

a first substantially square corner formed by the first linear wall and the second linear wall;

a third linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall;

a third curved wall;

a fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third curved wall and the fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third linear wall; and

a second substantially square corner formed by the third linear wall and the fourth linear wall, the first capillary to include a first amount of a liquid to partially fill the first capillary to dissipate heat;

fabricating a second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe into the second channel, the second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a second capillary with substantially square corners, the second capillary to include a second amount of the liquid to partially fill the second capillary to dissipate the heat; and

fabricating a third wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe into the third channel, the third wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including a third capillary therein with substantially square corners, the third capillary to include a third amount of the liquid to partially fill the third capillary to dissipate the heat.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the substrate includes at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic circuit board, a motherboard, a circuit board with embedded integrated circuit (IC) devices, a circuit board with embedded semiconductor or silicon devices, a chassis, a housing, an enclosure, or a support structure of an electronic device.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the first, second, and third wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipes are embedded in the substrate using a chemical etching process.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first, second, and third wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipes are embedded in the substrate using a mechanical subtraction process.

13. The method of claim 9, further including:

filling the first capillary with the first amount of the liquid;

filling the second capillary with the second amount of the liquid;

filling the third capillary with the third amount of the liquid; and

sealing the first, second, and third capillaries.

14. A system comprising:

an electronic device embedded in a substrate; and

a wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe embedded in the substrate, the wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe including;

a capillary including;

a first curved wall,

a first linear wall directly coupled to the first curved wall,

a second curved wall,

a second linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall,

a first corner formed by two first intersecting walls, a first of the two first intersecting walls of the first corner connected to the first linear wall and a second of the two first intersecting walls of the first corner connected to the second linear wall,

a third linear wall directly coupled to the second curved wall,

a third curved wall,

a fourth linear wall directly coupled to the third curved wall, and

a second corner formed by two second intersecting walls, a first of the two second intersecting walls of the second corner connected to the third linear wall and a second of the two second intersecting walls of the second corner connected to the fourth linear wall; and

a liquid partially filling the capillary to dissipate heat.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe is a first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe, the system further including a second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe, the first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe and the second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe are embedded in the substrate in a substantially radial orientation.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe is a first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe, the system further including a second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the substrate includes at least one of a printed circuit board (PCB), an electronic circuit board, a motherboard, a circuit board with embedded integrated circuit (IC) devices, a circuit board with embedded semiconductor or silicon devices, a chassis, a housing, an enclosure, or a support structure of the electronic device.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe is a first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe, the system further including a second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe, the first wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe and the second wickless capillary driven constrained vapor bubble heat pipe are embedded in the substrate in a substantially orthogonal orientation relative to each other.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the corner is positioned inward of a first tangent to the first curved wall and a second tangent to the second curved wall, the first tangent orthogonal to the second tangent.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the capillary includes:

a fifth linear wall directly coupled to the third curved wall;

a fourth curved wall;

a sixth linear wall directly coupled to the fourth curved wall;

a third corner formed by two third intersecting walls, a first of the two third intersecting walls of the third corner connected to the fifth linear wall and a second of the two third intersecting walls of the third corner connected to the sixth linear wall;

a seventh linear wall directly coupled to the fourth curved wall;

an eighth linear wall directly coupled to the first curved wall; and

a fourth corner formed by two fourth intersecting walls, a first of the two fourth intersecting walls of the fourth corner connected to the seventh linear wall and a second of the two fourth intersecting walls of the fourth corner connected to the eighth linear wall.