Carbon nanotubes for the selective transfer of heat from electronics

• US 8,630,091 B2
• Filed: 04/19/2011
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nantero Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Nantero Incorporated
• Inventors: Ward, Jonathan W., Bertin, Claude L., Segal, Brent M.
• Primary Examiner(s): NIKMANESH, SEAHVOSH J
• Application Number:
  US13/090,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20110211313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,001 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/704
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0554 External layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0555 Shape
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/0556 Disposition
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05568 the whole external layer protruding from the surface
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05573 Single external layer
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/05599 Material
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16 of an individual bump connector
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/73253 Bump and layer connectors
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/373 Cooling facilitated by selection of materials for the device or materials for thermal expansion adaptation, e.g. carbon
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/433 Auxiliary members in containers characterised by their shape, e.g. pistons
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/28 Structure, shape, material or disposition of the layer connectors prior to the connecting process
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 24/31 Structure, shape, material or disposition of the layer connectors after the connecting process
• 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 2924/00014 the subject-matter covered by the group, the symbol of which is combined with the symbol of this group, being disclosed without further technical details
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01005 Boron [B]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01006 Carbon [C]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01013 Aluminum [Al]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01015 Phosphorus [P]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01019 Potassium [K]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01023 Vanadium [V]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01029 : Copper [Cu]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01033 : Arsenic [As]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01074 : Tungsten [W]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01079 : Gold [Au]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/01082 : Lead [Pb]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/1306 : Field-effect transistor [FET]
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/14 : Integrated circuits
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 977/80 : Nucleic acid, e.g. DNA or RNA

Abstract

Under one aspect, a method of cooling a circuit element includes providing a thermal reservoir having a temperature lower than an operating temperature of the circuit element; and providing a nanotube article in thermal contact with the circuit element and with the reservoir, the nanotube article including a non-woven fabric of nanotubes in contact with other nanotubes to define a plurality of thermal pathways along the article, the nanotube article having a nanotube density and a shape selected such that the nanotube article is capable of transferring heat from the circuit element to the thermal reservoir.

Claims

1. A heat conduction element for cooling a circuit element, comprising:

a thermal reservoir having a temperature lower than an operating temperature of said circuit element; and

a nanotube article in thermal contact with said circuit element and said thermal reservoir;

wherein said nanotube article comprises a non-woven fabric of nanotubes in contact with other nanotubes to define a plurality of thermal pathways along said nanotube article;

wherein said nanotube article has a nanotube density and a geometry selected such that said nanotube article is capable of transferring heat from said circuit element to said thermal reservoir.

2. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said nanotube article is formed by depositing pre-formed nanotubes on a surface so as to form a non-woven fabric of nanotubes.

3. The heat conduction element of claim 2 wherein depositing said pre-formed nanotubes comprises at least one of spin-coating pre-formed nanotubes and spray-coating pre-formed nanotubes.

4. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said nanotube article is formed by growing nanotubes on a surface so as to form a non-woven fabric of nanotubes.

5. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said geometry of said nanotube article is defined lithographically.

6. The heat conduction element of claim 5 wherein defining the shape of the nanotube article lithographically comprises forming a non-woven fabric of nanotubes and subsequently removing selected portions of that non-woven fabric of nanotubes in accordance with the shape.

7. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said nanotube article is formed conformably said circuit element.

8. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said nanotube article has a substantially planar shape.

9. The heat conduction element of claim 1 further comprising a substrate element having a substantially planar major surface and a feature not in the plane of the major surface, and wherein said nanotube article substantially conforms to said feature.

10. The heat conduction element of claim 1 further comprising support elements under said nanotube article, said support elements defining a gap over which said nanotube article is suspended.

11. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein the nanotube density and geometry are selected such that the nanotube article is capable of transferring heat from the circuit element to the thermal reservoir at a pre-defined rate selected to maintain the circuit element below a pre-specified temperature.

12. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said pre-specified temperature comprises an upper limit of a normal operating temperature.

13. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said nanotube article has a pre-defined composition.

14. The heat conduction element of claim 13 wherein said pre-defined composition includes single-walled nanotubes.

15. The heat conduction element of claim 13 wherein said pre-defined composition includes multi-walled nanotubes.

16. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said circuit element comprises at least a portion of an integrated circuit.

17. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said circuit element comprises an encapsulation material.

18. The heat conduction element of claim 1 wherein said thermal reservoir comprises a heat sink.

19. The heat conduction element of claim 18 wherein said heat sink comprises a plurality of fins that radiate heat.

20. The heat conduction element of claim 1 further comprising a thermally conductive material between and in thermal contact with each of said nanotube article and said circuit element.