MODULE HAVING AT LEAST TWO SURFACES AND AT LEAST ONE THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE LAYER THEREBETWEEN

• US 20110110047A1
• Filed: 11/04/2010
• Published: 05/12/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Inventors: Delvalle, Jose, Chen, Chi She, Gervasi, William M., Pauley, Robert S., Bhakta, Jayesh R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,345,427 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/715
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1056 Metal over component, i.e. metal plate over component mounted on or embedded in PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2018 Presence of a frame in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A module is electrically connectable to a computer system. The module includes a first surface and a first plurality of circuit packages coupled to the first surface. The module further includes a second surface and a second plurality of circuit packages coupled to the second surface. The second surface faces the first surface. The module further includes at least one thermal conduit positioned between the first surface and the second surface. The at least one thermal conduit is in thermal communication with the first plurality of circuit packages and the second plurality of circuit packages.

Claims

1. A module connectable to a computer system, the module comprising:

a first surface and a first plurality of circuit packages coupled to the first surface and in electrical communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system;

a second surface and a second plurality of circuit packages coupled to the second surface and in electrical communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system, the second surface facing the first surface; and

at least one thermal conduit between the first surface and the second surface and in thermal communication with the first plurality of circuit packages and the second plurality of circuit packages, the at least one thermal conduit in thermal communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermal conduit comprises at least one sheet of copper.

3. The module of claim 1, further comprising at least one multilayer structure in electrical communication with the first plurality of circuit packages and with the second plurality of circuit packages.

4. The module of claim 3, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises an edge connector comprising a plurality of electrical contacts in electrical communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system.

5. The module of claim 4, wherein the at least one multilayer structure further comprises the at least one thermal conduit.

6. The module of claim 3, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises a lamination of layers of electrically insulative materials and electrically conductive materials.

7. The module of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of electrical contacts that are electrically connectable to the computer system, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises electrical contacts in electrical communication with the first plurality of circuit packages and with the second plurality of circuit packages.

8. The module of claim 7, wherein the plurality of electrical contacts comprises electrical contacts in thermal communication with the at least one thermal conduit.

9. The module of claim 1, wherein the first surface and the second surface are generally parallel to one another.

10. The module of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of circuit packages comprises memory integrated circuit packages and the second plurality of circuit packages comprises memory integrated circuit packages.

11. A computer system comprising:

a first plurality of circuit packages coupled to a first surface of a module;

a second plurality of circuit packages coupled to a second surface of the module, the second surface facing the first surface; and

at least one thermal conduit between the first surface and the second surface and in thermal communication with the first plurality of circuit packages and the second plurality of circuit packages, wherein the at least one thermal conduit is configured to provide a thermal pathway for heat flow away from the first plurality of circuit packages and the second plurality of circuit packages.

12. The module of claim 11, wherein the first surface and the second surface are generally parallel to one another.

13. The module of claim 11, further comprising at least one multilayer structure in electrical communication with the first plurality of circuit packages and with the second plurality of circuit packages.

14. The module of claim 13, wherein the at least one multilayer structure further comprises the at least one thermal conduit.

16. The memory module of claim 13, further comprising a third side facing away from the first side, the third side having a third plurality of circuit packages coupled thereto.

17. The memory module of claim 14, further comprising a fourth side facing away from the second side, the fourth side having a fourth plurality of circuit packages coupled thereto.

15. A memory module comprising:

at least one thermal conduit;

a first side facing the at least one thermal conduit, the first side having a first plurality of circuit packages coupled thereto, the first plurality of circuit packages in thermal communication with the at least one thermal conduit; and

a second side facing the at least one thermal conduit, the second side having a second plurality of circuit packages coupled thereto, the second plurality of circuit packages in thermal communication with the at least one thermal conduit, wherein the at least one thermal conduit is between the first side and the second side.