Thermally enhanced interposer and method

• US 6,712,621 B2
• Filed: 01/23/2002
• Issued: 03/30/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: High Connector Density Incorporated
• Original Assignee: High Connector Density Incorporated
• Inventors: Li, Che-Yu, Brown, Dirk D., Fan, Zhineng
• Primary Examiner(s): Prasad, Chandrika
• Application Number:
  US10/055,771
• Publication Number:
  US 20030139071A1
• Time in Patent Office: 797 Days
• Field of Search: 439/65, 439/71, 439/485, 439/487, 361/704, 361/719, 361/776, 174/262
• US Class Current: 439/65
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3677 Wire-like or pin-like cooling fins or heat sinks
• 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: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 12/523 by an interconnection through aligned holes in the boards or multilayer board
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/141 One or more single auxiliary printed circuits mounted on a main printed circuit, e.g. modules, adapters H05K1/142 and H05K1/147 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/4641 having integrally laminated metal sheets or special power cores
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1061 co-operating by abutting

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat spreading connector suitable for use with electronic components including those using land grid arrays and pin grid arrays and a method for its use. The connector of the present invention includes at least one dielectric layer and at least one thermally conductive layer.

Claims

1. A heat spreading interposer comprising:

at least one flexible electrical contact supported by a laminated housing such that a first end of said at least one flexible electrical contact projects outwardly from a first side of said housing and a second end of said at least one flexible electrical contact projects outwardly from a second side of said housing, wherein said laminated housing comprises at least one layer of thermally conductive material supported by at least one coextensive layer of a dielectric material so that a portion of said at least one flexible electrical contact is (i) engaged, and (ii) in thermal communication with said at least one layer of thermally conductive material.

2. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said laminated housing comprises a plurality of dielectric layers and a plurality of thermally conductive layers.

3. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said dielectric layers comprise a thermally conductive insulator.

4. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said dielectric layers each have a thickness of about 0.003 inches to about 0.007 inches.

5. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said at least one layer of thermally conductive material has a thickness of about 0.001 inches to about 0.005 inches.

6. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said portion of said at least one flexible electrical, contact is engaged with an annular edge of each of said at least one layers of thermally conductive material.

7. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said laminated housing defines a plurality of holes each having a thermally conductive liner that is arranged in thermal communication with said at least one layer of thermally conductive material wherein each of said flexible electrical contacts are thermally engaged with a portion of said liner.

8. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 1 wherein said at least one layer of thermally conductive material is sized larger than said laminated housing so as to form at least one wing projecting outwardly from at least one edge of said laminated housing so as to dissipate heat into the ambient environment.

9. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 8 wherein said at least one wing is engaged in thermal communication with a heat sink.

10. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 8 wherein at least one discrete wing is thermally bonded to at least one thermally conductive layer.

11. A heat spreading interposer comprising:

plurality of compressible electrical contact elements each having a first end and a second end and supported by a laminated housing so that said first end projects outwardly from a first side of said laminated housing and said second end projects outwardly from a second side of said laminated housing;

wherein said laminated housing is formed from at least one layer of thermally conductive material supported by at least one coextensive layer of a dielectric material so that a portion of each of said plurality of compressible electrical contacts engages an annular edge of said at least one layers of thermally conductive material so as to be in thermal communication with said at least one layer of thermally conductive material.

12. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 11 wherein at least one thermally conductive layer, comprises a lead frame and said two layers of dielectric material comprise a polymer disposed in surrounding relation to portions of said lead frame.

13. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 11 wherein said laminated housing defines a plurality of holes each having a portion of said lead frame arranged in thermal communication one of said compressible electrical contacts.

14. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 11 wherein said lead frame is sized larger than said laminated housing so as to form at least one wing projecting outwardly from at least one edge of said laminated housing so as to form a heat radiator to dissipate heat into the ambient environment.

15. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 14 wherein said at least one wing is engaged in thermal communication with a heat sink.

16. A heat spreading interposer according to claim 14 wherein at least one discrete wing is thermally bonded to a portion of said lead frame.

17. A method of heat dissipation for an electronic device, comprising:

providing an interposer comprising plurality of flexible electrical contacts supported by a laminated housing wherein said housing is formed from at least one layer of thermally conductive material supported by at least one coextensive layer of a dielectric material so that a portion of each of said plurality of flexible electrical contacts is (i) engaged, and (ii) in thermal communication with said at least one layer of thermally conductive material;

a. positioning said interposer intermediate an electronic device and a printed circuit board; and

b. conducting heat away from said electronic device through said at least one layer of thermally conductive material.

18. The method of claim 17 further comprising providing a heat transfer wing to said at least one layer of thermally conductive material.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said heat transfer wing is thermally engaged with a heat transfer device.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein said heat transfer device is selected from the group of heat transfer devices consisting of printed circuit boards, heat transfer devices attached to printed circuit boards, fins extended into ambient air from said thermally conductive material, passive heat transfer devices, pins associated with the electronic device, and active heat transfer devices.

21. The method of claim 17 wherein said interposer connects at least one of a land grid array mounted electronic device and a pin grid array mounted electronic device.