Method for making finned heat sink assemblies

• US 6,886,249 B2
• Filed: 09/27/2002
• Issued: 05/03/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Advanced Energy Technology Inc. (Graftech International Limited)
• Original Assignee: Advanced Energy Technology Inc. (Graftech International Limited)
• Inventors: Smalc, Martin D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cuda-Rosenbaum, Irene
• Application Number:
  US10/256,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20030019104A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• Field of Search: 298/900.3, 298/900.43, 294/28, 294/58, 165/80.3, 165/185, 165/164, 165/165, 165/179, 165/181, 165/151, 174/163, 257/722, 361/704
• US Class Current: 29/890.03
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/4882 Assembly of heatsink parts
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3677 Wire-like or pin-like cooling fins or heat sinks
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3738 Semiconductor materials
• 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: Y10T 29/4935 Heat exchanger or boiler making
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49373 Tube joint and tube plate structure

Abstract

A construction is provided for a finned heat sink constructed from a plurality of components separately formed from graphite materials. The components include a base and a plurality of fins. In one embodiment, the base is constructed from a first graphite material, and a plurality of elongated fins are constructed from a second graphite material, which may be the same material as the first graphite material. The fins each extend at least partially into the base, and have a length extending away from the base parallel to each other. The graphite material of the fins includes graphene layers aligned in planes parallel to the length of the fins. Two constructions are provided for the base. In one construction the base includes graphene layers aligned in planes parallel to the length of the fins. In another construction the base includes graphene layers aligned in planes perpendicular to the length of the fins.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a heat sink assembly, comprising:

(a) forming a base from a first graphite material;

(b) forming a plurality of separate fins from a second graphite material comprising compressed particles of exfoliated graphite;

(c) assembling the base and the fins into a heat sink assembly; and

(d) bonding the base and the plurality of fins together.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second graphite materials are each formed of graphite material comprising compressed particles of exfoliated graphite.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second graphite materials are both resin-impregnated graphite materials.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein:

in step (d), the bonding is achieved by clamping together the base and the fins, and curing the resin-impregnated graphite materials.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

in step (a) the base is formed by compressing a powered graphite material; and

in step (b), the fins are formed from a sheet of flexible graphite material.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein

in steps (a) and (b), both the base and the fins are formed from sheets of flexible graphite material.