Heat pipe thermal management of high potential electronic chip packages

• US 20040159934A1
• Filed: 02/17/2004
• Published: 08/19/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Donald M. Ernst, Mark T. North, Nelson J. Gernert
• Original Assignee: Donald M. Ernst, Mark T. North, Nelson J. Gernert
• Inventors: Gernert, Nelson J., North, Mark T., Ernst, Donald M.
• Application Number:
  US10/780,322
• Publication Number:
  US 20040159934A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 257/707
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48137 the bodies being arranged next to each other, e.g. on a common substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48227 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48247 connecting the wire to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48472 the other connecting portion not on the bonding area also being a wedge bond, i.e. wedge-to-wedge
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73265 Layer and wire connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3735 Laminates or multilayers, e.g. direct bond copper ceramic substrates
• 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 2924/00 Indexing scheme for arrangements or methods for connecting or disconnecting semiconductor or solid-state bodies as covered by H01L24/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1305 Bipolar Junction Transistor [BJT]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/13055 Insulated gate bipolar transistor [IGBT]

Abstract

An improved electronic chip package is disclosed, which may include an electrical insulator, top and bottom metallization layers associated with said insulator, an integrated circuit (IC) device, and a heat pipe placed between the electrical insulator and the IC device, and soldered to the IC device, wherein the wall of the heat pipe may be constructed so that thermal stresses in the IC device are reduced.

Claims

1. An improved electronic chip package, comprising:

an electrical insulator;

top and bottom metallization layers associated with said insulator;

at least one integrated circuit (IC) device; and

at least one heat pipe placed between the electrical insulator and the IC device, and soldered to the IC device, wherein the wall of the heat pipe is constructed so that thermal stresses in the IC device are reduced.

2. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 1, further comprising a heat sink.

3. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 1, wherein the IC device is surface mounted.

4. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 1, wherein said heat pipe is constructed of copper.

5. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 1, wherein said IC device is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) chip.

6. An improved electronic chip package, comprising:

a case wall;

top and bottom metallization layers;

at least one integrated circuit (IC) device; and

at least one electrically insulating heat pipe placed between the case wall and the IC device.

7. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 6, further comprising a heat sink.

8. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 6, wherein the IC device is surface mounted.

9. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 6, wherein said heat pipe is constructed of ceramic.

10. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 9, wherein said heat pipe is constructed of substances selected from the group consisting of aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride and beryllium oxide.

11. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 6, wherein said IC device is an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) chip.

12. An improved electronic chip package, comprising:

an electrical insulator;

top and bottom metallization layers associated with said insulator; and

at least one integrated circuit (IC) device, wherein the bottom metallization layer is connected to at least one heat pipe.

13. The improved electronic chip package as recited in claim 12, wherein the IC device is surface mounted.