Liquid-cooling module system for electronic circuit components

• US 5,050,037 A
• Filed: 09/29/1988
• Issued: 09/17/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 01/26/1984
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Katsuyama, Kouji, Yamamoto, Haruhiko, Kikuchi, Shunichi, Nakata, Mitsuhiko
• Primary Examiner(s): Thompson, Gregory D.
• Application Number:
  US07/251,978
• Time in Patent Office: 1,083 Days
• Field of Search: 165/80.4, 174/16.3, 174/15.1, 357/79, 357/82, 361/383-386, 361/389
• US Class Current: 361/699
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/48091 Arched
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4332 Bellows
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4735 Jet impingement H01L23/4336 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A printed circuit board assembly having a printed circuit board mounted, on both faces, heat generative electronic circuit components, such as integrated circuit chips, and a pair of liquid-cooling modules arranged on both sides of the printed circuit board. Each of the liquid-cooling modules is provided with a liquid cooling plate having liquid coolant supply heads and a plurality of resilient heat transfer units held by the liquid-cooling plate and arranged in compressive contact with the electronic circuit components on both faces of the printed circuit board.

Claims

1. A liquid-cooling module for cooling integrated circuit chips mounted on first and second faces of a printed circuit board comprising:

liquid-cooling plates having therein passage means for flowing liquid coolant under pressure and a plurality of liquid coolant supply head means; and

a plurality fo resilient heat transfer means held by each said liquid-cooling plates and arranged in alignment with said integrated circuit chips, each of said resilient heat transfer means having a liquid coolant receiving chamber closed at one end thereof by a heat transfer plate in compressive contact with one of said integrated circuit chips on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board wherein equal but opposite pressure is applied to said first and second faces of said printed circuit board by said resilient heat transfer means held by each said liquid cooling plates, and at another end of said liquid coolant receiving chamber fluidly communicating with one of said liquid coolant supply head means, said liquid coolant supply head means being fluidly and serially intercommunicated with one another by means of said passage means, wherein each of said liquid coolant supply head means comprises a liquid coolant chamber formed in each said liquid-cooling plate and having a liquid inlet and a liquid outlet, and a nozzle means connected to said liquid inlet of said liquid coolant chambser and directed toward each said heat transfer plate for impinging said liquid coolant against each said heat transfer plate.

2. A liquid-cooling module, according to claim 1, wherein each of said resilient heat transfer means comprises a hollow resilient member having one end connected to said liquid-cooling plate at a position around one of said liquid coolant supply heads and the other end attached to said heat transfer plate.

3. A liquid-cooling module, according to claim 2, wherein said hollow resilient member is comprised of bellows.

4. A liquid-cooling module, according to claim 2, wherein said hollow resilient member is comprised of a diaphragm member.

5. A liquid-cooling module for cooling integrated circuit chips mounted on first and second faces of a printed circuit board comprising:

liquid-cooling plates having therein passage means for flowing liquid coolant under pressure and a plurality of liquid coolant supply head means; and

a plurality of resilient heat transfer means held by each said liquid-cooling plates and arranged in alignment with said integrated circuit chips, each of said resilient heat transfer means having a liquid coolant receiving chamber closed at one end thereof by a heat transfer plate by a means for holding said heat transfer plate in compressive contact with one of said integrated circuit chips on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means applying opposite but equal pressure to each face of said printed circuit board, and at another end of said liquid coolant receiving chamber fluidly communicating with one of said liquid coolant supply head means, said liquid coolant supply head means being fluidly and serially intercommunicated with one another by means of said passage means, wherein each of said liquid coolant supply head means comprises a cylindrical liquid coolant chamber formed in said liquid cooling plate and having a liquid inlet for introducing said liquid coolant into said cylindrical liquid coolant chamber as a spiral flow of said liquid coolant and a liquid outlet for discharging said liquid coolant from said cylindrical liquid coolant chamber.

6. A liquid-cooling module, according to claim 5, wherein said liquid outlet of each of said liquid coolant supply heads is fluidly connected to said liquid inlet of adjacent downstream one of said liquid coolant, supply heads by means of said passage means.

7. A printed circuit board assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having first and second faces having mounted thereon a plurality of electronic circuit components, each of said electronic circuit components comprising a semiconductor chip having a top face thereof to which a heat dissipation plate, having a surface area larger than that of said top face of said semiconductor chip, is attached;

a pair of first and second liquid-cooling modules arranged on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, said first and second liquid-cooling modules removing heat generated by said plurality of electronic circuit components mounted on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules comprising a cooling plate having therein passage means for flowing a liquid coolant under pressure, said first and second liquid-cooling modules further comprising a plurality of resilient heat transfer means intervened between said cooling plate and said printed circuit board, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means being in substantial alignment with said plurality of electronic circuit components, said cooling plate of each of said first and second liquid cooling modules comprising a plurality of liquid coolant supply head means arranged in alignment with said plurality of resilient heat transfer means of each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules, for supplying a flow of said liquid coolant under pressure from said passage means to said plurality of resilient heat transfer means, each of said resilient heat transfer means having, at one end thereof, a heat transfer plate cooled by said liquid coolant fed from said cooling plate, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means being kept in a compressed state so that a resilient force generated in said plurality of resilient transfer means and a pressure, exhibited by the liquid coolant under pressure, place said plurality of resilient heat transfer means in compressive contact with said plurality of electronic circuit components, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means applying opposite but equal pressure on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board for eliminating mechanical stress; and

a heat transfer sheet intervened between said heat transfer plate of said plurality of resilient heat transfer means and said heat dissipation plate of said semiconductor chip, said heat transfer sheet being compliant to compression acting thereon.

8. A printed circuit board assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having first and second faces having mounted thereon a plurality of electronic circuit components, each of said electronic circuit components comprising a semiconductor chip having a top face thereof to which a heat dissipation plate, having a surface area larger than that of said top face of said semiconductor chip, is attached; and

a pair of first and second liquid-cooling modules arranged on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, said first and second liquid-cooling modules removing heat generated by said plurality of electronic circuit components mounted on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules comprising a cooling plate having therein passage means for flowing a liquid coolant under pressure, said first and second liquid-cooling modules further comprising a plurality of resilient heat transfer means intervened between said cooling plate and said printed circuit board, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means being in substantial alignment with said plurality of electronic circuit components, said cooling plate of each of said first and second liquid cooling modules comprising a plurality of liquid coolant supply heat means arranged in alignment with said plurality of resilient heat transfer means of each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules, for supplying a flow of said liquid coolant under pressure from said passage means to said plurality of resilient heat transfer means, each of said resilient heat transfer means having, at one end thereof, a heat transfer plate cooled by said liquid coolant fed from said cooling plate, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means being kept in a compressed state so that a resilient force generated in said plurality of resilient transfer means and a pressure, exhibited by the liquid coolant undesr pressure, place said plurality of resilient heat transfer means is compressive contact with said plurality of electronic circuit components, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means applying opposite but equal pressure on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board to eliminate mechanical stress on said plurality of electronic circuit components.

9. A printed circuit board assembly comprising:

a printed circuit board having first and second faces having mounted thereon a plurality of electronic circuit components; and

a pair of first and second liquid-cooling modules arranged on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, said first and second liquid-cooling modules removing heat generated by said plurality of electronic circuit components mounted on said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules comprising a cooling plate having therein passage means for flowing a liquid coolant under pressure, said first and second liquid-cooling modules further comprising a plurality of resilient heat transfer means intervened between said cooling plate and said printed circuit board, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means being in substantial alignment with said plurality of electronic circuit components, said cooling plate of each of said first and second liquid cooling modules comprising a plurality of liquid coolant supply head means arranged in alignment with said plurality of resilient heat transfer means of each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules, for supplying a flow of said liquid coolant under pressure from said passage means to said plurality of resilient heat transfer means, each of said resilient heat transfer means having, at one end thereof, a heat transfer plate cooled by said liquid coolant fed from said cooling plate, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means being kept in a compressed state so that a resilient force generated in said plurality of resilient transfer means and a pressure, exhibited by the liquid coolant under pressure, place said plurality of resilient heat transfer means in compressive contact with said plurality of electronic circuit components, said plurality of resilient heat transfer means applying opposite but equal pressure on said firs and second faces of said printed circuit board to eliminate mechanical stress.

10. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 9, wherein said electronic circuit component on said first and second faces of said printed board comprises a semiconductor chip having a to face thereof to which a heat dissipation plate having a surface area larger than that of said top face of said semiconductor chip is attached, and including means holding said heat dissipation plate compressed with said heat transfer plate.

11. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 10, further comprising a heat transfer sheet intervened between said heat transfer plate of said resilient heat transfer means and said heat dissipation plate of said semiconductor chip, said heat transfer sheet being compliant to compression acting thereon.

12. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 11, wherein said heat transfer and dissipation plates are made of metal and wherein said intervened heat transfer sheet is made of electrically insulating material.

13. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 9, wherein each of said plurality of electronic circuit components comprises a bare chip having a top face.

14. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 13, further comprising a heat transfer sheet intervened between said top face of said bare chip and said heat transfer plate of said resilient heat transfer means, said heat transfer sheet compliant to compression acting thereon.

15. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 14, wherein said bare chip is mounted on respective said first and second faces of said printed circuit board, wherein said heat transfer plate of said resilient heat transfer means is made of metal, and wherein said intervened heat transfer sheet is made of electrically insulating material.

16. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 9, wherein said resilient heat transfer means comprises a resilient hollow member having two spaced open ends defining therebetween a hollow chamber for receiving therein said flow of said liquid coolant under pressure, one of said two spaced open ends connected to said cooling plate around said liquid coolant supply head means and the other of said two spaced open ends closed by said heat transfer plate.

17. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 9, wherein each of said liquid coolant supply head means of said each cooling plate comprises a coolant chamber fluidly connected to said each resilient heat transfer means and closed by said heat transfer plate of said each resilient heat transfer means, said coolant chamber being provided with a liquid coolant inlet means for introducing therein said liquid coolant under pressure and a liquid coolant outlet means for discharging therefrom said liquid coolant under pressure.

18. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 17, wherein said liquid coolant inlet means of said plurality of liquid coolant supply head means comprises a liquid coolant inlet nozzle, for supplying said liquid coolant toward said heat transfer plates of said resilient heat transfer means, said liquid coolant inlet nozzle tightly fitted in bores foremed in each said cooling plate of said first and second liquid-cooling modules.

19. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 18, wherein said bores formed in each said cooling plate of said first and second liquid-cooling modules are all inclined with respect to a vertical line to said heat transfer plate of said resilient heat transfer means and arranged in parallel with one another.

20. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 17, wherein each of said coolant chambers or each cooling plate of said first and second liquid-cooling modules is a cylindrical chamber having a central axis thereof vertical to said heat transfer plate of said resilient heat transfer means and wherein said liquid coolant inlet means of said cylindrical liquid coolant chamber is disposed in a plane separate from a plane containing therein said central axis so that said liquid coolant inlet means may introduce said liquid coolant under pressure into said cylindrical liquid coolant chamber as a spiral flow of said liquid coolant.

21. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 17, wherein said coolant chambers of said liquid coolant supply head means are arranged in alignment with one another along a straight line parallel with one of said first and second faces of said printed circuit board so as to form a set of coolant chambers fluidly intercommunicating with one another in series through liquid communication of said liquid coolant outlet means and said liquid coolant inlet means of adjacent coolant chambers via said passage means of said cooling plate.

22. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 21, wherein a plurality of sets of said liquid coolant chambers are arranged in parallel with one another in each said cooling plates of said first and second liquid-cooling modules.

23. A printed circuit board assembly according to claim 22, wherein said plurality of sets of coolant chambers are connected to one another by means of additional passage means so that an equal amount of said liquid coolant under pressure flows through said pluraltiy of sets of coolant chambers.

24. A printed circuit board assembly according to claims 9, wherein respective said sets of coolant chambers of each said cooling plate of each of said first and second liquid-cooling modules are connected to a common liquid inlet passage via respective first branch passages having different radii of curvature and to a common liquid outlet passage via respective second branch passages having different radii of curvature, said common liquid inlet passage being fluidly connected to a liquid coolant supply source and said common liquid outlet passage being fluidly connected to a heat exchange means, and wherein said radii of curvature of at least one of said first and second branch passages are fixed so that an equal amount of said liquid coolant under pressure flows through said sets of liquid coolant chambers respectively.