Embossed heat spreader

• US 8,705,240 B1
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 04/22/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/18/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google Inc. (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Zohni, Wael O., Schmidt, William L., Smith, Michael John Sebastian, Plunkett, Jeremy Matthew
• Primary Examiner(s): THOMPSON, GREGORY D
• Application Number:
  US13/620,412
• Time in Patent Office: 585 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 361/719
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/367 Cooling facilitated by shape of device H01L23/38, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4093 Snap-on arrangements, e.g. clips
• 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 2924/0002 Not covered by any one of groups H01L24/00, H01L24/00 and H01L2224/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention sets forth a heat spreader module for dissipating thermal heat generated by electronic components. The assembly comprises a printed circuit board (PCB), electronic components disposed on the PCB, a thermal interface material (TIM) thermally coupled to the electronic components, and a heat spreader plate thermally coupled to the TIM. The heat spreader plate includes an embossed pattern. Consequently, surface area available for heat conduction between the heat spreader plate and surrounding medium may be increased relative to the prior art designs.

Claims

1. A memory module, comprising:

a first printed circuit board (PCB);

electronic components disposed on a first surface of the first PCB, wherein the electronic components include at least a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip;

a thermal interface material (TIM) thermally coupled to the electronic components; and

a heat spreader plate with an inner surface thermally coupled to the TIM, the heater spreader plate including a plurality of holes formed and extended from the inner surface of the heater spreader plate to an outer surface of the heater spreader plate.

2. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are formed at predetermined positions so that an air pressure differential is formed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the heater spreader plate.

3. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the heat spreader plate includes multiple layers of substrate material, and wherein one or more layers of the substrate material are removed at predetermined positions to form the plurality of holes.

4. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the inner surface and the outer surface of the heater spreader plate are thermally conductive surfaces.

5. The memory module of claim 1, wherein a coefficient of thermal expansion of the heat spreader plate is substantially equal to a coefficient of thermal expansion of the first PCB.

6. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are filled with a metal material.

7. The memory module of claim 6, wherein the metal material comprises copper.

8. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of holes are filled with non-metal compositions.

9. The memory module of claim 8, wherein the non-metal compositions comprise epoxy.

10. The memory module of claim 1, further comprising:

second electronic components disposed on a second surface the first PCB;

a second thermal interface material (TIM) thermally coupled to the second electronic components; and

a second heat spreader plate with an inner surface thermally coupled to the second TIM, the second heater spreader plate.

11. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the TIM comprises a compressible material adapted to deform under a clamping pressure from a fastening mechanism.

12. The memory module of claim 11, wherein the fastening mechanism comprises one or more C-clips.

13. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the first PCB and the heat spreader plate comprise fiberglass, a phenolic PCB material, or carbon fiber.

14. The memory module of claim 1, wherein a number of the plurality of holes, a size of each of the plurality of holes, a wall thickness between the plurality of holes, and surface plating thickness are selected to achieve a specific thermal spreading resistance of the heat spreader plate.

15. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the outer surface of the heat spreader plate includes an embossed pattern.

16. The memory module of claim 15, wherein the embossed pattern comprises fins protruding out of the outer surface of the heat spreader plate.

17. The memory module of claim 1, wherein the inner surface of the heat spreader plate comprises a thermally conductive area and a thermally isolated area arranged to isolate a heat transfer between a first electronic component and a second electronic component of the electronic components.

18. A system comprising:

a motherboard;

a plurality of sockets electrically connected to the motherboard;

a plurality of memory modules mounted in the plurality of sockets; and

a duct encompassing the plurality of memory modules,

wherein each of the plurality of memory modules comprises;

a first printed circuit board (PCB);

electronic components disposed on the first PCB, wherein the electronic components include at least a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chip;

a thermal interface material (TIM) thermally coupled to the electronic components; and

a heat spreader plate with an inner surface thermally coupled to the TIM, the heater spreader plate includes a plurality of holes formed and extended from the inner surface of the heater spreader plate to an outer surface of the heater spreader plate.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the plurality of holes are formed at predetermined positions so that an air pressure differential is formed between the inner surface and the outer surface of the heater spreader plate.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the heat spreader plate includes multiple layers of substrate material, and wherein one or more layers of the substrate material are removed to form the plurality of holes.