Module having at least two surfaces and at least one thermally conductive layer therebetween

• US 7,839,645 B2
• Filed: 10/26/2009
• Issued: 11/23/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Netlist, Inc.
• Inventors: Bhakta, Jayesh R., Delvalle, Jose, Chen, Chi She, Gervasi, William M., Pauley, Robert S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chervinsky; Boris L
• Application Number:
  US12/606,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20100110642A1
• Time in Patent Office: 393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/721
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/144 Stacked arrangements of planar printed circuit boards
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10189 Non-printed connector
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/1056 Metal over component, i.e. metal plate over component mounted on or embedded in PCB
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/2018 Presence of a frame in a printed circuit or printed circuit assembly
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49117 Conductor or circuit manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49124 On flat or curved insulated base, e.g., printed circuit, etc.
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/4913 Assembling to base an electrical component, e.g., capacitor, etc.

Abstract

A module is electrically connectable to a computer system. The module includes a plurality of electrical contacts which are electrically connectable to the computer system. The module further includes a first surface and a first plurality of circuits coupled to the first surface. The first plurality of circuits is in electrical communication with the electrical contacts. The module further includes a second surface and a second plurality of circuits coupled to the second surface. The second plurality of circuits is in electrical communication with the electrical contacts. The second surface faces the first surface. The module further includes at least one thermally conductive layer positioned between the first surface and the second surface. The at least one thermally conductive layer is in thermal communication with the first plurality of circuits, the second plurality of circuits, and a first set of the plurality of electrical contacts.

Claims

1. A module electrically connectable to a computer system, the module comprising:

a plurality of electrical contacts which are electrically connectable to the computer system;

a first surface and a first plurality of circuits coupled to the first surface, the first plurality of circuits in electrical communication with the electrical contacts;

a second surface and a second plurality of circuits coupled to the second surface, the second plurality of circuits in electrical communication with the electrical contacts, the second surface facing the first surface; and

at least one thermally conductive layer positioned between the first surface and the second surface, the at least one thermally conductive layer in thermal communication with the first plurality of circuits, the second plurality of circuits, and a first set of electrical contacts of the plurality of electrical contacts.

2. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least one thermally conductive layer comprises copper.

3. The module of claim 1, further comprising at least one multilayer structure in electrical communication with the first plurality of circuits and with the second plurality of circuits.

4. The module of claim 3, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises an edge connector comprising the plurality of electrical contacts.

5. The module of claim 3, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises a lamination of layers of electrically insulative materials and electrically conductive materials.

6. The module of claim 1, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises the at least one thermally conductive layer.

7. The module of claim 1, wherein the first surface and the second surface are generally parallel to one another.

8. The module of claim 1, wherein the first plurality of circuits comprises memory integrated circuits and the second plurality of circuits comprises memory integrated circuits.

9. A module connectable to a computer system, the module comprising:

a first surface and a first plurality of circuits coupled to the first surface, the first plurality of circuits in electrical communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system;

a second surface and a second plurality of circuits coupled to the second surface, the second plurality of circuits in electrical communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system, the second surface facing the first surface; and

a heat spreader comprising at least one sheet of thermally conductive material, the heat spreader between the first surface and the second surface and in thermal communication with the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits, the heat spreader in thermal communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system.

10. The module of claim 9, wherein the thermally conductive material comprises copper.

11. The module of claim 9, further comprising at least one multilayer structure in electrical communication with the first plurality of circuits and with the second plurality of circuits.

12. The module of claim 11, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises an edge connector comprising a plurality of electrical contacts in electrical communication with the computer system when the module is connected to the computer system.

13. The module of claim 12, wherein the at least one multilayer structure further comprises the heat spreader.

14. The module of claim 11, wherein the at least one multilayer structure comprises a lamination of layers of electrically insulative materials and electrically conductive materials.

15. A method of conducting heat away from a first plurality of circuits coupled to a first surface of a module and from a second plurality of circuits coupled to a second surface of the module, the method comprising:

coupling the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits to a plurality of electrical contacts;

positioning a thermally conductive layer between the surface and the second surface, the first surface facing the second surface; and

thermally coupling the thermally conductive layer to the first plurality of circuits, to the second plurality of circuits, and to the plurality of electrical contacts.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising electrically and thermally coupling the plurality of electrical contacts to a computer system, thereby providing a thermal pathway for heat to be removed from the first plurality of circuits and from the second plurality of circuits to the computer system through the plurality of electrical components.

17. A method of fabricating a module electrically connectable to a computer system, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of electrical contacts electrically connectable to the computer system;

providing at least one layer of thermally conductive material which is thermally coupled to the plurality of electrical contacts, the at least one layer of thermally conductive material thermally coupled to the computer system when the plurality of electrical contacts is electrically connected to the computer system;

providing a first surface and a first plurality of circuits coupled to the first surface;

providing a second surface and a second plurality of circuits coupled to the second surface;

electrically coupling the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits to the plurality of electrical contacts; and

thermally coupling the first plurality of circuits and the second plurality of circuits to the at least one layer of thermally conductive material, wherein the first surface and the second surface are facing one another and the at least one layer of thermally conductive material is between the first surface and the second surface.

18. A memory module comprising:

at least one thermally conductive layer;

a first side facing the at least one thermally conductive layer, the first side having a first plurality of circuits coupled thereto, the first plurality of circuits in thermal communication with the at least one thermally conductive layer;

a second side facing the at least one thermally conductive layer, the second side having a second plurality of circuits coupled thereto, the second plurality of circuits in thermal communication with the at least one thermally conductive layer, wherein the at least one thermally conductive layer is between the first side and the second side.

19. The memory module of claim 18, further comprising a third side facing away from the first side, the third side having a third plurality of circuits coupled thereto.

20. The memory module of claim 19, further comprising a fourth side facing away from the second side, the fourth side having a fourth plurality of circuits coupled thereto.