Gel thermal interface materials comprising fillers having low melting point and electronic packages comprising these gel thermal interface materials

• US 6,841,867 B2
• Filed: 12/30/2002
• Issued: 01/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Rumer, Christopher L., Koning, Paul A., Dani, Ashay A., Matayabas, James C. Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Thomas, Tom
• Assistant Examiner(s): Fenty, Jesse A.
• Application Number:
  US10/334,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20040124526A1
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 257706-748
• US Class Current: 257/706
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16225 the item being non-metallic, e.g. insulating substrate with or without metallisation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/2929 with a principal constituent of the material being a polymer, e.g. polyester, phenolic based polymer, epoxy
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/293 with a principal constituent of the material being a metal or a metalloid, e.g. boron [B], silicon [Si], germanium [Ge], arsenic [As], antimony [Sb], tellurium [Te] and polonium [Po], and alloys thereof
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/29499 Shape or distribution of the fillers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/32245 the item being metallic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73253 Bump and layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3128 the substrate having spherical bumps for external connection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3737 Organic materials with or without a thermoconductive filler
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/42 Fillings or auxiliary members in containers or encapsulations selected or arranged to facilitate heating or cooling
• 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 2924/01078 Platinum [Pt]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/10253 Silicon [Si]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/15311 being a ball array, e.g. BGA
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/16152 Cap comprising a cavity for hosting the device, e.g. U-shaped cap
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3011 Impedance

Abstract

A composition including an amount of at least one vinyl terminated polymer; an amount of at least one cross-linker comprising a terminal Si—H unit; an amount of at least one thermally conductive first filler, and at least one thermally conductive second filler, wherein a melting point of the first filler is greater than the melting point of the second filler. An apparatus including a package configured to mate with a printed circuit board; a semiconductor device coupled to the package; a thermal element; and a curable thermal material disposed between the thermal element and the semiconductor device.

Claims

1. A composition comprising:

an amount of at least one vinyl terminated polymer;

an amount of at least one cross-linker comprising a terminal Si—

H unit;

an amount of at least one thermally conductive first filler; and

an amount of at least one thermally conductive second filler, wherein a melting point of the first filler is greater than the melting point of the second filler.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the at least one vinyl terminated polymer comprises a silicone moiety.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the at least one cross-linker comprises a silicone moiety.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein an amount of the second filler is less than 30 percent by volume.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the second filler is selected from a group consisting of indium, indium-silver alloy, indium-tin alloy, tin, tin-bismuth alloy, tin-indium-bismuth alloy, gallium-tin-indium alloy, gallium-indium-tin-zinc alloy, and indium-bismuth alloy.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the first filler comprises an average particle size of less than 30 microns.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the first filler comprises a bulk thermal conductivity greater than 50 W/mK.

8. The composition of claim 7, wherein the first filler comprises a mixture of aluminum and zinc oxide.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a package configured to mate with a printed circuit board;

a semiconductor device coupled to the package;

a thermal element; and

a curable thermal material disposed between the thermal element and the semiconductor device comprising;

an amount of at least one vinyl terminated silicone polymer;

an amount of at least one silicone cross-linker comprising a terminal Si—

H unit;

an amount of at least one thermally conductive first filler; and

an amount of at least one thermally conductive second filler, wherein a melting point of the first filler is greater than the melting point of the second filler.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein an amount of the second filler of the thermal material is less than 30 percent by volume.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the second filler of the thermal material is selected from a group consisting of indium, indium-silver alloy, indium-tin alloy, tin, tin-bismuth alloy, tin-indium-bismuth alloy, gallium-tin-indium alloy, gallium-indium-tin-zinc alloy, and indium-bismuth alloy.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the first filler of the thermal material comprises an average particle size of less than 30 microns.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the first filler of the thermal material comprises a bulk thermal conductivity greater than 50 W/mK.

14. The apparatus of claim 9, further comprising a printed circuit board, wherein the package is coupled to the printed circuit board.

15. An apparatus comprising:

a package configured to mate with a printed circuit board;

a semiconductor device coupled to the package;

a first thermal element;

a second thermal element; and

a curable thermal material disposed between the first thermal element and the second thermal element comprising;

an amount of at least one vinyl terminated silicone polymer;

an amount of at least one silicone cross-linker comprising a terminal Si—

H unit;

an amount of at least one thermally conductive first filler; and

an amount of at least one thermally conductive second filler, wherein a melting point of the first filler is greater than the melting point of the second filler.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein an amount of the second filler of the thermal material is less than 30 percent by volume.

17. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the second filler of the thermal material is selected from a group consisting of indium, indium-silver alloy, indium-tin alloy, tin, tin-bismuth alloy, tin-indium-bismuth alloy, gallium-tin-indium alloy, gallium-indium-tin-zinc alloy, and indium-bismuth alloy.

18. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the first filler of the thermal material comprises an average particle size of less than 30 microns.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first filler of the thermal material comprises a bulk thermal conductivity greater than 50 W/mK.