Method of making an electronic device cooling system

• US 20070131659A1
• Filed: 12/09/2005
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Durocher, Kevin, Balch, Ernest, Kapusta, Christopher, Goodwin, Stacey
• Application Number:
  US11/297,869
• Publication Number:
  US 20070131659A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 219/121.600
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4871 Bases, plates or heatsinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/027 the conductive material being removed by irradiation, e.g. by photons, alpha or beta particles

Abstract

A method of making an electronic device cooling system includes forming a thermally conductive layer on an inner surface of the substrate and laser ablating the thermally conductive layer to form microchannels.

Claims

1. A method of making an electronic device cooling system comprising,

forming a thermally conductive layer on an inner surface of the substrate;

and

laser ablating the thermally conductive layer to form microchannels.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein laser ablating includes ablating the thermally conductive layer in multiple passes, each pass increasing depths of the microchannels to a final desired depth.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising cleaning debris from the microchannels between each laser ablating pass.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a power electronic device proximate to an outer surface of the substrate.

5. The method of claim 1, the substrate comprising silicon, silicon carbide, aluminum nitride, alumina, gallium nitride or a combination thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein forming the thermally conductive layer comprises sputtering.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive layer has a thickness of less than about 400 microns.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising applying a cleaning agent to remove debris between successive laser ablation passes, and wiping the debris from the microchannels.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cleaning agent is a silicone release agent.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the microchannels have a width of less than about 200 microns.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the microchannels have a width of from about 100 microns to about 200 microns.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the microchannels are less than about 400 microns deep.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the microchannels are about 300 microns to about 400 microns deep.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the microchannels have an aspect ratio of width to height of about 1:

2 to about 1;

3.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the microchannels form a V-shaped channel.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an inlet manifold in fluid communication with the microchannels to introduce a coolant in the microchannels, and providing an outlet manifold in fluid communication with the microchannels to exhaust the coolant from the microchannels.

17. A method of making an electronic device cooling system comprising,

(a) laser ablating the thermally conductive layer disposed on a substrate to form microchannels in the thermally conductive layer;

(b) cleaning debris from the microchannels; and

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a desired depth of the microchannels is reached, the microchannels separating generally parallel ribs made of the remaining thermally conductive layer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the laser ablation progressively forms channels having a generally V-shaped cross section.

19. A method of making an electronic device cooling system comprising,

(a) laser ablating the thermally conductive layer disposed on a substrate to form microchannels in the thermally conductive layer;

(b) cleaning debris from the microchannels;

(c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until a desired depth of the microchannels is reached, the microchannels separating generally parallel ribs made of the remaining thermally conductive layer; and

(d) disposing a manifold structure over the microchannels to direct a cooling medium through the microchannels during operation.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising disposing electronic devices on an opposite side of the substrate, the electronic devices being cooled during operation by the cooling medium circulated through the manifold structure and the microchannels.