MEMS cooling device

• US 7,823,403 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nytell Software LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Aprolase Development Co LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Sapir, Itzhak
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules; Frantz F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Comings; Daniel C
• Application Number:
  US11/511,117
• Publication Number:
  US 20070048154A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,529 Days
• Field of Search: 621/85, 622/01, 622/592, 621/02, 165/80.4, 165/120, 361/699, 417/413.1, 417/417, 417/550, 417/552, 417/555.1
• US Class Current: 62/259.2
• CPC Class Codes: F04B 19/006 Micropumps F04B43/043 and F04B43/095 take precedence

Abstract

A preferred embodiment of the MEMS cooling device of the invention comprises one or more MEMS micro-channel volumes in communication with one or more MEMS micro-pump assemblies wherein each micro-pump assembly comprises a flexure valve, such as a leaf valve and means to drive a coolant through the channel volumes such as an electrostatic interleaved comb drive structure. A preferred embodiment comprises an inlet micro-pump assembly and an outlet micro-pump assembly but the device may also be fabricated with a single pump mechanism per channel volume.

Claims

1. A micro-electromechanical (MEMS) cooling device comprising:

a first channel volume configured to transfer heat from a separate first device to a coolant;

a first inlet port and a first outlet port in fluid communication with the first channel volume;

a first MEMS micro-pump assembly comprising;

a first valve drive configured to move the coolant through the first channel volume, and

a first valve assembly in fluid communication with the first channel volume and driven by the first valve drive;

a second channel volume configured to transfer heat from the separate first device or to the coolant;

a second inlet port and a second outlet port in fluid communication with the second channel volume; and

a second MEMS micro-pump assembly comprising;

a second valve drive configured to move the coolant through the second channel volume, and

a second valve assembly in fluid communication with the second channel volume and driven by the second valve drive.

2. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the MEMS cooling device is formed of a material that comprises silicon.

3. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second valve drives includes interleaved electrostatic comb drive structures.

4. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second valve drives includes parallel plate electrostatic elements.

5. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second valve drives includes a piezo-crystal element.

6. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or second valve assemblies includes a leaf valve.

7. The MEMS cooling device of claim 6, wherein the leaf valve comprises a movable valve element that is mechanically connected to a flexure arm that is fixedly attached to a stationary portion of the MEMS cooling device.

8. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the first MEMS micro-pump assembly includes a flexure arm fixedly attached to a stationary portion of the MEMS cooling device.

9. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the first valve assembly is configured to open or close based at least in part on a pressure differential between a first side of the first valve assembly and a second side of the first valve assembly.

10. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the first valve drive further comprises first and second electrode columns, wherein the first and second electrode columns each have an applied predetermined voltage that can be controlled independently of other of the electrode columns.

11. The MEMS cooling device of claim 10, wherein the first valve assembly is configured to open or close based at least in part on the applied predetermined voltage for each of the first and second electrode columns.

12. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, further comprising an inlet conduit configured to transfer fluid to the first and second inlet ports and an outlet conduit configured to transfer fluid away from the first and second outlet ports.

13. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the first channel volume includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first inlet port is located adjacent to the first end of the first channel volume, and wherein the first outlet port is located adjacent to the second end of the first channel volume.

14. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the first valve drive is disposed proximate the first inlet port or the first outlet port such that no coolant lines or piping is disposed between the first valve drive and the first inlet or first outlet port.

15. The MEMS cooling device of claim 1, wherein the second channel volume is adjacent to the first channel volume, wherein the first valve drive is disposed proximate the first inlet port or the first outlet port, and wherein the second valve drive is disposed proximate the second inlet port or the second outlet port.

16. A micro-electromechanical (MEMS) cooling device comprising:

a first channel volume and a second channel volume configured to transfer heat from a first device to a coolant;

a first inlet port and a first outlet port in fluid communication with the first channel volume;

a second inlet port and a second outlet port in fluid communication with the second channel volume;

a first micro-pump assembly configured for pumping the coolant into the first channel volume and a second micro-pump assembly configured for pumping the coolant into the second channel volume; and

a third micro-pump assembly configured for pumping the coolant out of the first channel volume and a fourth micro-pump assembly configured for pumping the coolant out of the second channel volume, wherein at least one of the first, second, third, or fourth micro-pump assemblies comprise;

a valve drive disposed proximate the corresponding inlet port or the corresponding outlet port; and

a valve assembly in fluid communication with the corresponding channel volume and wherein the valve assembly is driven by its corresponding valve drive.

17. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein the first micro-pump assembly and the second micro-pump assembly are configured to be separately controlled by separate predetermined voltages.

18. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve drives comprises dual opposing stationary comb drive structures.

19. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least a portion of the cooling device is formed from a material that includes silicon.

20. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve drives comprises interleaved electrostatic comb drive structures.

21. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve drives comprises a set of parallel plate electrostatic elements.

22. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve drives comprises a piezo-crystal element.

23. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve assemblies comprises a leaf valve.

24. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve drives further comprises first and second electrode columns, wherein the first and second electrode columns each have an applied predetermined voltage that can be controlled independently of the other electrode column.

25. The MEMS cooling device of claim 24, wherein at least one of the valve assemblies is configured to open or close based at least in part on the applied predetermined voltage for each of the first and second electrode columns.

26. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first micro-pump assembly or the second micro-pump assembly includes a flexure arm fixedly attached to a stationary portion of the MEMS cooling device.

27. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein at least one of the valve assemblies is configured to open or close based at least in part on a pressure differential between a first side and a second side of the at least one of the valve assemblies.

28. The MEMS cooling device of claim 16, wherein the first channel volume includes a first end and a second end opposite the first end, wherein the first inlet port is located adjacent to the first end of the first channel volume, and wherein the first outlet port is located adjacent to the second end of the first channel volume.

29. A method for cooling a micro-electromechanical system (MEMS) device comprising:

activating a first valve drive to open a first valve assembly of a first micro-pump assembly, wherein the first valve drive is in fluid communication with a first channel volume;

activating a second valve drive to open a second valve assembly of a second micro-pump assembly, wherein the second valve drive is in fluid communication with a second channel volume;

pumping a coolant through the first and second valve assemblies into the first and second channel volumes;

activating a third valve drive to open a third valve assembly of a third micro-pump assembly, wherein the third valve drive is in fluid communication with the first channel volume;

activating a fourth valve drive to open a fourth valve assembly of a fourth micro-pump assembly, wherein the fourth valve drive is in fluid communication with the second channel volume; and

pumping the coolant through the third and fourth valve assemblies out of the first and second channel volumes.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first valve drive and the second valve drive includes dual opposing stationary comb drive structures.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first valve drive and the second valve drive includes an interleaved electrostatic comb drive structure.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first valve assembly or the second valve assembly is configured to open or close based at least in part on a pressure differential between a first side and a second side of the at least one of the first valve assembly and the second valve assembly.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the first valve drive and the second valve drive includes a set of parallel plate electrostatic elements or a piezo-crystal element.