Heat sink for use in cooling an integrated circuit

• US 6,400,012 B1
• Filed: 09/17/1997
• Issued: 06/04/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Energy Voorhees Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Advanced Energy Voorhees Incorporated
• Inventors: Miller, William J., Bhutta, Imran A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chaudhuri, Olik
• Assistant Examiner(s): Weiss, Howard
• Application Number:
  US08/932,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20020043716A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,721 Days
• Field of Search: 257/712, 257/714, 257/719, 361/689, 361/697, 361/703
• US Class Current: 257/712
• 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 7/20254 Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20927 Liquid coolant without phase change

Abstract

An apparatus for removing heat from an electronic component. In one embodiment, a heat generating device is mounted to a top-side surface of a package substrate. A fluid flow channel that is defined at least partially by a portion of the back-side surface of the substrate is provided for passing a cooling medium. This configuration permits the cooling medium to be in direct contact with the back-side surface of the substrate, thus, reducing the overall thermal resistance between the heat generating device and cooling medium.

Claims

1. A cooling device comprising;

a semiconductor package substrate having a top-side and back-side surface, the top-side surface having a semiconductor chip mounted thereto, and the back-side surface being opposite the top-side surface; and

a cooling channel housing, the channel housing in conjunction with at least a portion of the back-side surface defining a right and a left flow channel, the left and right flow channels being substantially parallel to each other and being separated by a dividing wall formed in the channel housing, the left flow channel comprising a left inlet section, a left heat transfer section, and a left outlet section,

the left heat transfer section having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the intended direction of flow smaller than the cross-sectional areas perpendicular to the flow direction of the left inlet and left outlet sections,

the right flow channel comprising a right inlet section, a right heat transfer section, and a right outlet section,

the right heat transfer section having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the intended direction of flow smaller than the cross-sectional areas perpendicular to the flow direction of the right inlet and right outlet sections.

2. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein the channel housing is fabricated from a metal-matrix composite material.

3. The cooling device of claim 2, wherein the metal-matrix composite material has a coefficient of thermal expansion similar to that of the semiconductor package substrate.

4. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein either or both the left and right heat transfer sections are located adjacent a portion of the backside surface that is opposite the semiconductor chip.

5. The cooling device of claim 1 wherein thermally conductive fins are disposed on the portion of the backside surface that is opposite the semiconductor chip.

6. The cooling device of claim 5, wherein the thermally conductive fins comprises copper.

7. The cooling device of claim 1, wherein at least one bolt hole passes through the cooling channel housing, the at least one hole being substantially parallel with the plane of the back-side surface, and not impinging on either the left or right flow channels.

8. The cooling device of claim 7, wherein the at least one bolt hole is substantially parallel with an intended direction of coolant flow.

9. The cooling device of claim 7, wherein the at least one bolt hole is substantially perpendicular to an intended direction of coolant flow.

10. The cooling device of claim 7, wherein an o-ring or a gasket circumscribes one or more openings of the outlets or inlets sections of the right and left flow channels at one or more side surfaces of the cooling channel housing.

11. A cooling apparatus comprising:

a first cooling device, the first cooling device comprising,

a first semiconductor package substrate having a first top-side and first back-side surface, the first top-side surface having a first semiconductor chip mounted thereto, and the first back-side surface being opposite the first top-side surface; and

a first cooling channel housing, the first channel housing in conjunction with at least a port ion of the first back-side surface defining a first right and a first left flow channel, the first left and first right flow channels being substantially parallel to each other and being separated by a first dividing wall formed in the first channel housing,

the first left flow channel comprising a first left inlet section, a first left heat transfer section, and a first left outlet section,

the first left heat transfer section having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the intended direction of flow smaller than the cross-sectional areas in the intended direction of flow of the first left inlet and first left outlet sections,

the first right flow channel comprising a first right inlet section, a first right heat transfer section, and a first right outlet section,

the first right heat transfer section having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the intended direction of flow smaller than the cross-sectional areas in the intended direction of flow of the first right inlet and first right outlet sections,

the first cooling channel housing also having at least one first bolt hole formed there through, the at least one first hole being substantially parallel with the plane of the first back-side surface, and not impinging on either the first left or first right flow channels;

a second cooling device, the second cooling device comprising,

a second semiconductor package substrate having a second top-side and second back-side surface, the second top-side surface having a second semiconductor chip mounted thereto, and the second back-side surface being opposite the second top-side surface; and

a second cooling channel housing, the second channel housing in conjunction with at least a portion of the second back-side surface defining a second right and a second left flow channel, the second left and second right flow channels being substantially parallel to each other and being separated by a second dividing wall formed in the second channel housing,

the second left flow channel comprising a second left inlet section, a second left heat transfer section, and a second left outlet section,

the second left heat transfer section having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the intended direction of flow smaller than the cross-sectional areas in the intended direction of flow of the second left inlet and second left outlet sections,

the second right flow channel comprising a second right inlet section, a second right heat transfer section, and a second right outlet section ,

the second right heat transfer section having a cross-sectional area perpendicular to the intended direction of flow smaller than the cross-sectional areas in the intended direction of flow of the second right inlet and second right outlet sections,

the second cooling channel housing also having at least one second bolt hole formed there through, the at least one second hole being substantially parallel with the plane of the second back-side surface, and not impinging on either the second left or second right flow channels; and

a bolt, the bolt passing through the at least first one bolt hole and the at least second bolt hole, the bolt being secured to join the first and second cooling devices together.

12. The cooling apparatus of claim 11, wherein first left and first right openings of the first left and first right outlet sections formed at a first side surface of the first cooling channel housing of the first cooling device mate up respectively against the second left and second right openings of the second left and second right inlet sections formed at a second side surface of the second cooling channel housing of the second cooling device, permitting a continuous flow of cooling fluid.

13. A cooling device comprising:

a semiconductor package substrate having a top-side and back-side surface, the top-side surface having a semiconductor chip mounted thereto, and the back-side surface being opposite the top-side surface; and

a cooling channel housing, the channel housing in conjunction with at least a portion of the back-side surface defining a flow channel,

the flow channel comprising an inlet section, a heat transfer section, and an outlet section,

the heat transfer section having a smaller cross-sectional area than a cross-sectional area of the inlet and outlet sections,

the cooling channel housing having at least one bolt hole formed there through, the at least one bolt hole being substantially parallel with the plane of the back-side surface, and not impinging on either the left or right flow channels.

14. The cooling device of claim 13, wherein the at least one bolt hole is substantially parallel with the intended direction of coolant flow.

15. The cooling device of claim 13, wherein the at least one bolt hole is substantially perpendicular to the direction of coolant flow.

16. The cooling device of claim 13, wherein an o-ring or a gasket circumscribes one or more opening of the outlet or inlet sections of the flow channel at one or more side surfaces of the cooling channel housing.

17. The cooling device of claim 13, wherein the channel housing is fabricated from a metal matrix composite.

18. The cooling device of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer section is located adjacent a portion of the backside surface that is opposite the semiconductor chip.