Enabling an aluminum heat exchanger with a working fluid

• US 9,574,832 B2
• Filed: 12/28/2007
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Original Assignee: Intel Corporation
• Inventors: Chang, Je-Young, Kim, Choong-Un, Pokharna, Himanshu, Mongia, Rajiv K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROJOHN III, CLAIRE E
• Application Number:
  US12/005,784
• Publication Number:
  US 20090166014A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,343 Days
• Field of Search: 165/134.1, 165/133, 165/138, 165/DIG.6, 427/232, 427/239
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 15/02 in which the medium condenses and evaporates, e.g. heat pipes heat pipes used in solar heat collectors F24S10/95; in radiators F28D1/0226; in nuclear reactors G21C15/257
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 19/06 of metal
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 21/084 from aluminium or aluminium alloys
• CPC Class Codes: F28F 2245/02 hydrophilic
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3735 Laminates or multilayers, e.g. direct bond copper ceramic substrates
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/427 Cooling by change of state, e.g. use of heat pipes by liquefied gas H01L23/445
• 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

Abstract

In one embodiment, a heat exchanger may be formed using a corrosion-resistant aluminum material to enable usage of water as a working fluid for the exchanger. In one embodiment, the exchanger may have an aluminum substrate with multiple treated layers formed thereon. A first treated layer corresponds to a hydrated aluminum oxide layer, and a second treated layer corresponds to a mono-layer organic molecule layer. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an aluminum heat exchanger having an aluminum substrate with an oxide layer, a first treated layer formed directly on the oxide layer, and a second treated layer formed on the first treated layer, the first treated layer corresponding to a hydrated aluminum oxide layer and located between the oxide layer and the second treated layer, the second treated layer corresponding to a conversion layer and a monolayer of molecules, the aluminum heat exchanger including a working fluid to contact at least the conversion layer and the monolayer, the working fluid corresponding to purified and neutralized water, wherein the aluminum heat exchanger is coupled to a semiconductor device to remove heat therefrom during operation of the semiconductor device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the purified and neutralized water includes a buffering salt to stabilize a pH level thereof.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the purified and neutralized water includes at least one corrosion inhibitor.

4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the at least one corrosion inhibitor includes an organic polymer.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the aluminum heat exchanger is integrated on a surface of a die of the semiconductor device.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first treated layer is formed directly on and in direct contact with the oxide layer with no other layer located between the oxide layer and the first treated layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second treated layer is hydrophilic.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second treated layer is hydrophilic and directly contacts the working fluid.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein (a) the first treated layer is formed directly on and in direct contact with the oxide layer with no other layer located between the oxide layer and the first treated layer, and (b) the second treated layer is formed directly on and in direct contact with the first treated layer with no other layer located between the first and second treated layers.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the monolayer is self-assembled.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the monolayer is self-assembled.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the conversion layer includes at least one of CrO₂, MnO₂, and SiO₂.