Liquid-cooled heat sink assemblies

• US 9,345,169 B1
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 05/17/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Computer TASK Group Incorporated, International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Campbell, Levi A., David, Milnes P., Demetriou, Dustin W., Ellsworth, Michael J. Jr., Schmidt, Roger R., Simons, Robert E.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdelaziez, Yasser A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Lu, Farun
• Application Number:
  US14/546,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20160143185A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/34 Arrangements for cooling, heating, ventilating or temperature compensation ; Temperature sensing arrangements thermal treatment apparatus H01L21/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3672 Foil-like cooling fins or heat sinks being part of lead-frames H01L23/49568
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4006 with bolts or screws
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/473 by flowing liquids H01L23/4332, H01L23/4338 take precedence
• 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 7/20218 using a liquid coolant without phase change in electronic enclosures in cabinets of standardized dimensions H05K7/20536; in server cabinets H05K7/20709; in vehicle electronic casings H05K7/20845; in power control electronics H05K7/2089; in displays H05K7/20954
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20254 Cold plates transferring heat from heat source to coolant
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20281 Thermal management, e.g. liquid flow control
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20327 Accessories for moving fluid, for connecting fluid conduits, for distributing fluid or for preventing leakage, e.g. pumps, tanks or manifolds
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/2039 characterised by the heat transfer by conduction from the heat generating element to a dissipating body arrangements for increasing/decreasing heat-transfer, e.g. fins details, F28F13/00
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20436 Inner thermal coupling elements in heat dissipating housings, e.g. protrusions or depressions integrally formed in the housing
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20509 Multiple-component heat spreaders; Multi-component heat-conducting support plates; Multi-component non-closed heat-conducting structures
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20772 within server blades for removing heat from heat source

Abstract

Liquid-cooled heat sink assemblies are provided which include: a thermally conductive base structure having a sidewall surface and a main heat transfer surface; and a manifold structure attached to the base structure, with the base structure residing at least in part within a recess in the manifold structure. Together, the base and manifold structures define a coolant-carrying compartment through which liquid coolant flows, at least in part, in a direction substantially parallel to the main heat transfer surface of the base structure, and at least one of the sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure or an opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure includes a continuous groove. A sealing member is disposed, at least in part, within the continuous groove, and provides a fluid-tight seal between the thermally conductive base structure and the manifold structure.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a liquid-cooled heat sink assembly including;

a thermally conductive base structure having a sidewall surface and a main heat transfer surface, the main heat transfer surface to couple to at least one component to be cooled; and

a manifold structure attached to the thermally conductive base structure, with the sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure residing at least partially within a recess in the manifold structure, the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure together defining a coolant-carrying compartment through which liquid coolant flows, at least in part, in a direction substantially parallel to the main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive base structure, and wherein at least one of the sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure or an opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure comprises a continuous groove; and

a sealing member disposed, at least in part, within the continuous groove, the sealing member providing a fluid-tight seal between the thermally conductive base structure and the manifold structure.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure is oriented substantially perpendicular to the main heat transfer surface, and the thermally conductive base structure is fabricated of a metal and the manifold structure is fabricated of a plastic.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive base structure comprises a base plate and a sidewall extending therefrom, the sidewall surface comprising, at least in part, a surface of the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure comprises an inner sidewall surface and an outer sidewall surface, the continuous groove being in one of the inner sidewall surface or the opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the liquid-cooled heat sink assembly further comprises threads on the outer sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure, wherein the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure are threadably attached, at least in part, via the threads.

6. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure comprises an inner sidewall surface and an outer sidewall surface, the continuous groove being in one of the outer sidewall surface or the opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure, and wherein the liquid-cooled heat sink assembly further comprises threads on the inner sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure, wherein the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure are threadably attached, at least in part, via the threads.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure is circular, and the manifold structure and thermally conductive base structure are threadably attached.

8. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure are attached via multiple fasteners, with the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure residing within the recess in the manifold structure, and the fasteners being oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive base structure.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein at least one fastener of the multiple fasteners extends through a portion of the manifold structure and engages a respective fastener notch in the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the manifold structure further comprises:

a coolant inlet and a coolant outlet; and

at least one inlet orifice in fluid communication with the coolant inlet and the coolant-carrying compartment, and at least one outlet orifice in fluid communication with the coolant outlet and the coolant-carrying compartment, wherein the liquid coolant flows through the coolant inlet, the at least one inlet orifice, the coolant-carrying compartment, and the at least one outlet orifice, to the coolant outlet.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the at least one inlet orifice comprises at least one inlet slot positioned over a central region of the coolant-carrying compartment and facilitating the liquid coolant flow into the coolant-carrying compartment in the central region thereof.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of thermally conductive fins disposed within the coolant-carrying compartment to facilitate transfer of heat from the thermally conductive base structure to the liquid coolant flowing through the coolant-carrying compartment.

13. An apparatus comprising:

at least one electronic component to be cooled; and

a liquid-cooled heat sink assembly coupled to the at least one electronic component to facilitate cooling thereof, the liquid-cooled heat sink assembly including;

a thermally conductive base structure having a sidewall surface and a main heat transfer surface, the main heat transfer surface being coupled to the at least one electronic component;

a manifold structure attached to the thermally conductive base structure, with the thermally conductive base structure residing at least partially within a recess in the manifold structure, the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure together defining a coolant-carrying compartment through which liquid coolant flows, at least in part, in a direction substantially parallel to the main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive base structure, and wherein at least one of the sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure or an opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure comprises a continuous groove; and

a sealing member disposed, at least in part, within the continuous groove, the sealing member providing a fluid-tight seal between the thermally conductive base structure and the manifold structure.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the thermally conductive base structure comprises a base plate and a sidewall extending therefrom, the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure having an inner sidewall surface and an outer sidewall surface, the sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure comprising one of the inner sidewall surface or the outer sidewall surface.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the continuous groove resides in one of the inner sidewall surface or the opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure, and wherein the liquid-cooled heat sink assembly further comprises threads on the outer sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure, the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure being threadably attached, at least in part, via the threads.

16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the continuous groove resides in one of the outer sidewall surface or the opposing surface thereto of the manifold structure, and wherein the liquid-cooled heat sink assembly further comprises threads on the inner sidewall surface of the thermally conductive base structure, the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure being threadably attached, at least in part, via the threads.

17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the manifold structure and the thermally conductive base structure are attached via multiple fasteners, with the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure residing within the recess in the manifold structure, and the fasteners being oriented in a direction substantially parallel to the main heat transfer surface of the thermally conductive base structure, and wherein at least one fastener of the multiple fasteners extends through a portion of the manifold structure and engages a respective fastener notch in the sidewall of the thermally conductive base structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sidewall extends perpendicular from the base plate, and the thermally conductive base structure is fabricated of a metal and the manifold structure is fabricated of a plastic.