Dehumidified cooling assembly for IC chip modules

• US 6,233,959 B1
• Filed: 10/12/1999
• Issued: 05/22/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Kang, Sukhvinder, Singh, Prabjit, Schmidt, Roger R., Mahaney, Howard Victor Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): SHULMAN, MARK S
• Application Number:
  US09/415,732
• Time in Patent Office: 588 Days
• Field of Search: 62/34, 62/32, 622/592, 62/93
• US Class Current: 62/259.2
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 19/00 Arrangement or mounting of refrigeration units with respect to devices or objects to be refrigerated, e.g. infrared detectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/445 the fluid being a liquefied gas, e.g. in a cryogenic vessel

Abstract

A cooling assembly for an integrated circuit chip module wherein an evaporator-cooled IC module is enclosed within an insulated housing which is surrounded by an atmosphere of dehumidified air.

Claims

1. A cooling assembly for an integrated circuit chip module mounted on a printed circuit board substrate comprising:

an evaporator unit having a thermal interface in thermal communication with said integrated circuit chip module so as to cool said module to a temperature below ambient dew point;

an insulated housing having its base attached to said printed circuit board substrate and surrounding the outer perimeter of said integrated circuit module so as to enclose said evaporator unit and said integrated circuit module;

an enclosure surrounding said insulated housing, said enclosure having an atmosphere of dehumidified air maintained therein;

an inlet conduit in communication with an interior of said enclosure;

an exhaust outlet in communication with said interior of said enclosure; and

a capillary tube wrapped around said inlet conduit said capillary tube having coolant circulating therethrough;

wherein a flow of dehumidified air is introduced into said interior of said enclosure through said inlet conduit and said dehumidified air exits said enclosure through said exhaust outlet.

2. The cooling assembly of claim 1 wherein the inlet conduit is cooled to below the dew point of the incoming flow of air, so that moisture in said air is condensed on the walls of said inlet conduit.

3. The cooling assembly of claim 1 wherein the capillary tube is an expansion device between a condenser and the evaporator in a refrigeration circuit used in conjunction with said evaporator unit of the cooling assembly.

4. A cooling assembly for an integrated circuit chip module mounted on a printed circuit board substrate comprising:

an evaporator unit of a refrigeration system having a thermal interface in thermal communication with said integrated circuit chip module so as to cool said module to a temperature below ambient dew point;

an insulated housing having its base attached to said printed circuit board substrate and surrounding the outer perimeter of said integrated circuit module so as to enclose said evaporator unit and said integrated circuit module; and

an enclosure surrounding said insulated housing, said enclosure having an inlet conduit and a remote exhaust outlet in flow communication with the interior of said enclosure;

an air moving device to introduce a flow of dehumidified air through said inlet conduit and through the enclosure to exit said exhaust outlet, said inlet conduit wrapped with a coolant chilled capillary tube from a condenser of the evaporator unit refrigeration system, so as to reduce the temperature of the flow of air to below its dew point to condense moisture from the flow of air before being introduced into said enclosure; and

,

a drain in said inlet conduit to collect and remove moisture condensed within the conduit.

5. A method for providing a dehumidified air atmosphere for a refrigeration evaporator cooled integrated chip module mounted on a printed circuit board, the method comprising:

circulating a flow of air from an air moving device through an inlet conduit in flow communication with an enclosed space surrounding said integrated chip module;

wrapping a capillary tube around said inlet conduit;

dehumidifying said flow of air before it enters the enclosed space surrounding the module by circulating coolant through said capillary tube and cooling said inlet conduit to below the dew point of the flow of air to condense moisture in said air on the walls of said inlet conduit, and;

collecting and draining the condensed moisture from said inlet conduit.