Heat sink/heat spreader structures and methods of manufacture

• US 6,686,532 B1
• Filed: 09/18/2000
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Chris Macris
• Original Assignee: Chris Macris
• Inventors: Macris, Chris
• Primary Examiner(s): Ryan, Patrick
• Assistant Examiner(s): Parsons, Thomas H.
• Application Number:
  US09/664,121
• Time in Patent Office: 1,233 Days
• Field of Search: 136/203, 136/204, 136/225, 62/32, 62/33, 257/930, 257/712, 257/713, 257/717, 257/718, 257/719, 257/722
• US Class Current: 136/204
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73253 Bump and layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/01 Manufacture or treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H10N 10/17 characterised by the structure or configuration of the cell or thermocouple forming the device
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 257/93 Thermoelectric, e.g. peltier effect cooling

Abstract

A heat sink/heat spreader structure utilizing thermoelectric effects to efficiently transport thermal energy from a variety of heat sources including integrated circuits and other electronic components. A method for manufacturing the heat sink/spreader is also disclosed.

Claims

1. A thermoelectric heat spreader attachable to a heat sink, the spreader comprising:

a top thermoelement that can be bonded to the heat sink; and

a bottom thermoelement bonded to the top thermoelement at a plurality of spaced electrically conducting junctions, wherein the top thermoelement is made of a different material than the bottom thermoelement, and wherein the top and bottom thermoelements together form a thermoelectric couple.

2. The spreader of claim 1 wherein the top thermoelement is a semiconductor and the bottom thermoelement is a conductor.

3. The spreader of claim 1 wherein each thermoelement is made of semiconducting material.

4. The spreader of claim 1 further comprising a electrically conductive contact layer sandwiched between the top and bottom thermoelements and bonded thereto at a plurality of spaced electrically conducting junctions, wherein each thermoelement is of a different material than the thermoelement to which it is bonded.

5. The spreader of claim 4 wherein a portion of the top thermoelement is a conducting or semiconducting material and another portion is a dielectric material, wherein a portion of the bottom thermoelement is a conducting or semiconducting material and another portion is a dielectric material, and wherein the electrically conductive contact layer is a conductor or semiconductor.

6. The spreader of claim 4 wherein the electrically conductive contact layer comprises a plurality of layers bonded to each other along electrically conductive junctions.

7. The spreader of claim 4 wherein the electrically conductive contact layer comprises two separate portions, wherein the separate portions are separated by a gap and each is bonded to the top and bottom layers along electrically conductive junctions.

8. The spreader of claim 1 wherein the thermoelements comprise sheets and the junctions comprise a heat absorbing junction and a heat rejecting junction, wherein the heat absorbing junction is located approximately near the center of each thermoelement sheet and the heat rejecting junction is located approximately near the edge of the sheets.

9. The spreader of claim 1 further comprising an external thermoelectric device dielectrically bonded to the top thermoelement or the heat sink.

10. The spreader of claim 1 wherein the spreader is electrically in series with an electrical load other than itself.

11. The spreader of claim 10 wherein the electrical load is an integrated circuit or other electronic component.

12. The spreader of claim 1 wherein the spreader is attached to the package of an electronic component.

13. A thermoelectric heat spreader to which an electrical potential is applied, the spreader comprising:

a heat sink;

a top thermoelement bonded to the heat sink; and

a bottom thermoelement bonded to the top thermoelement at a plurality of spaced electrically conducting junctions, wherein the top thermoelement is made of a different material than the bottom thermoelement, and wherein the top and bottom thermoelements together form a thermoelectric couple.

14. The spreader of claim 13 wherein the top thermoelement is a semiconductor and the bottom thermoelement is a conductor.

15. The spreader of claim 13 wherein both thermoelements are made of semiconducting material.

16. The spreader of claim 13 further comprising a electrically conductive contact layer sandwiched between the top and bottom thermoelements and bonded thereto at a plurality of spaced electrically conducting junctions, wherein each thermoelement is of a different material than the thermoelement to which it is bonded.

17. The spreader of claim 16 wherein a portion of the top thermoelement is a conducting or semiconducting material and another portion is a dielectric material, wherein a portion of the bottom thermoelement is a conducting or semiconducting material and another portion is a dielectric material, and wherein the electrically conductive contact layer is a conductor or semiconductor.

18. The spreader of claim 16 wherein the electrically conductive contact layer comprises a plurality of layers bonded to each other along electrically conductive junctions.

19. The spreader of claim 16 wherein the electrically conductive contact layer comprises two separate portions, wherein the separate portions are separated by a gap and each is bonded to the top and bottom layers along electrically conductive junctions.

20. The spreader of claim 13 wherein the thermoelements comprise sheets and the junctions comprise a heat absorbing junction and a heat rejecting junction, wherein the heat absorbing junction is located approximately near the center of each thermoelement sheet and the heat rejecting junction is located approximately near an edge of the sheets.

21. The spreader of claim 13 further comprising an external thermoelectric device dielectrically bonded to the top thermoelement or the heat sink.

22. The spreader of claim 13 wherein the spreader is electrically in series with an electrical load other than itself.

23. The spreader of claim 22 wherein the electrical load is an integrated circuit or other electronic component.

24. The spreader of claim 13 wherein the spreader is attached to the package of an electronic component.

25. A heat sink for dissipating heat from a heat source, the heat sink comprising:

a heat sink attachable to the heat source; and

an electrical source connected to the heat sink to cause a current to flow through the heat sink, whereby the current flowing through the heat sink increases the heat dissipated by the heat sink.

26. A heat sink/spreader structure comprising:

a heat sink; and

a thermoelement couple, with an electric potential applied across the thermoelement couple, wherein the thermoelement couple is electrically in series with an electrical load.

27. A heat sink/spreader structure comprising:

an electrically conductive heat sink; and

a dissimilar thermoelement electrically bonded to the heat sink forming a thermoelectric couple wherein the dissimilar thermoelement material comprises a plurality of conducting or semiconducting layers separated by dielectric layers.