Apparatus for cooling circuits

• US 5,040,381 A
• Filed: 04/19/1990
• Issued: 08/20/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 04/19/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Computervision Corp. (PTC Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Prime Computer, Inc. (DR Holdings, Inc. of Delaware)
• Inventors: Hazen, William A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Makay, Albert J.
• Assistant Examiner(s): SOLLECITO, JOHN M
• Application Number:
  US07/511,108
• Time in Patent Office: 488 Days
• Field of Search: 62/3.2, 62/3.3, 62/3.1, 62/3.7, 136/203, 136/204, 136/237, 357/87
• US Class Current: 62/3.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 21/02 using Peltier effect; using Nernst-Ettinghausen effect
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/38 Cooling arrangements using the Peltier effect
• 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: H10N 10/13 characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction

Abstract

An apparatus for cooling circuit modules by use of a thermo-electric device which comprises a series of semiconductor regions and etched copper conductors designed to conduct heat in a specified direction by means of the Peltier Effect. The thermo-electric device is sandwiched between two layers of a polymer based, thermally conductive dielectric such as the dielectric used in the manufacture of Thermal Clad™. The hot layer of Thermal Clad™ (i.e., the layer that receives heat) is laminated directly to a heat sink. The cold layer of Thermal Clad™ is laminated directly to a cold plate which is, in turn, coupled to the circuit module.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cooling a circuit module comprising:

a heat sink,

a thermo-electric device comprising a series of semiconductor regions sandwiched between first and second electrically conductive layers,

a thin polymer-based dielectric layer having a first face bonded to said heat sink, and a second face bonded to said first electrically conductive layer, for conducting heat from said thermo-electric device towards said heat sink, and

said second electrically conductive layer coupled to thermally receive heat from said circuit module.

2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1 wherein said second electrically conductive layer is thermally coupled to said circuit module via a cold plate.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said first and second electrically conductive layers comprise etched copper, each layer etched in a pattern so as to electrically couple said semiconductor regions in a series of alternately positively and negatively doped regions.

4. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said heat sink is constructed of aluminum.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said heat sink is constructed of copper.

6. An apparatus as set forth in claim 3 wherein said circuit module is coextensive with said copper cold plate and said copper cold plate comprises a substrate of said circuit module.

7. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2 wherein said circuit module further comprises silicon die bonded directly to said cold plate and at least one circuit layer coupled to said cold plate.

8. An apparatus as set forth in claim 7 wherein said cold plate is constructed of a copper-tungsten alloy.

9. A thermo-electric apparatus for cooling a circuit module, comprising:

a cold plate coupled to said circuit module,

a first layer of etched copper,

a first thin polymer-based dielectric layer having a first face bonded to said cold plate, and a second face bonded to said first layer of etched copper, for conducting heat from said cold plate towards said first layer of etched copper,

a second layer of etched copper,

a series of alternately positively and negatively doped semiconductor regions coupled between said first and second etched copper layers to cause heat to flow, by means of the Peltier Effect, away from said first etched copper layer and toward said second etched copper layer,

a heat sink,

a second thin polymer-based dielectric layer having a first face bonded to said second etched copper layer, and a second face bonded to said heat sink for conducting heat from said second etched copper layer towards said heat sink.

10. An apparatus as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second dielectric layers are bonded to said first and second etched copper layers, respectively, by means of a lamination process.

11. An apparatus as set forth in claim 10 wherein said first and second dielectric layers are bonded to said copper cold plate and said heat sink, respectively, by means of said lamination process.

12. An apparatus as set forth in claim 11 wherein said cold plate is constructed of copper.

13. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said heat sink is constructed of aluminum.

14. An apparatus as set forth in claim 12 wherein said heat sink is constructed of copper.

15. An apparatus a set forth in claim 12 wherein said semiconductor regions are coupled to said first and second etched copper layer by means of indium tin solder.

16. An apparatus as set forth in claim 15 wherein said circuit module is coextensive with said cold plate and said cold plate is constructed of a copper-tungsten alloy, said cold plate comprising a substrate of said circuit module.

17. An apparatus as set forth in claim 16 wherein said circuit module further comprises silicon die bonded directly to said cold plate and at least one circuit layer coupled to said cold plate.