Heat dissipation for substrate assemblies

• US 9,848,512 B2
• Filed: 11/02/2016
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Original Assignee: SanDisk Technologies LLC (Western Digital Corporation)
• Inventors: Wright, David A., Dean, David, Ellis, Robert W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Jerry
• Application Number:
  US15/342,073
• Publication Number:
  US 20170064870A1
• Time in Patent Office: 412 Days
• Field of Search: 36167933
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0207 using internal conductor planes parallel to the surface for thermal conduction, e.g. power planes
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0254 High voltage adaptations; Electrical insulation details; Overvoltage or electrostatic discharge protection electrostatic discharge protection for electric apparatus in general H05K9/0067, H05K9/0079; Arrangements for regulating voltages or for using plural voltages
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0259 Electrostatic discharge [ESD] protection
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/066 Heatsink mounted on the surface of the printed circuit board [PCB]
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 2201/10159 Memory
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/1489 characterized by the mounting of blades therein, e.g. brackets, rails, trays H05K7/1491 takes precedence
• 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 7/205 Heat-dissipating body thermally connected to heat generating element via thermal paths through printed circuit board [PCB] details of PCBs relating to heat transfer H05K1/0201
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20709 for server racks or cabinets; for data centers, e.g. 19-inch computer racks

Abstract

Various embodiments described herein include systems, methods and/or devices used to dissipate heat generated by electronic components in an electronic system (e.g., a memory system including closely spaced memory modules). Specifically, a heat sink includes an attachment structure and a tab. The attachment structure defines a slot configured to receive an edge of a substrate and thermally couple to a ground plane of the substrate. The tab is located opposite to the slot, and is configured to slide into a card guide slot of an assembly rack, such that in use, heat generated by at least one electronic component on the substrate is at least partially transferred through the ground plane to the attachment structure to be dissipated.

Claims

1. A heat sink for dissipating heat, comprising:

an attachment structure defining a slot configured to receive an edge of a substrate and thermally couple to a ground plane of the substrate; and

a tab located opposite to the slot, the tab being configured to slide into a card guide slot of an assembly rack, such that in use, heat generated by at least one electronic component on the substrate is at least partially transferred through the ground plane to the attachment structure to be dissipated.

2. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the tab has a width substantially equal to a thickness of the substrate, and the tab extends from the attachment structure, thereby being configured to mate with the card guide slot.

3. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein at one or both ends along a length of the slot, the attachment structure has a widened slot end configured to facilitate insertion of the substrate into the slot.

4. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the slot is curved along its length.

5. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the slot includes a friction lock configured to mechanically grip the edge of the substrate.

6. The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the friction lock comprises a narrowed slot neck.

7. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the attachment structure further comprises a first thermal via configured to align and thermally contact with a second thermal via at the edge of the substrate.

8. The heat sink of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of heat dissipaters coupled to the attachment structure, where the heat dissipaters are configured to increase the heat dissipation area of the heat sink and at least partially dissipate heat generated by the at least one electronic component.

9. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein the plurality of heat dissipaters comprises a first set of fins that are substantially parallel to each other and a second set of fins that are substantially parallel to each other, and the first set of fins and the second set of fins are oriented differently according to a direction of an airflow in order to distribute the airflow substantially evenly across the substrate.

10. The heat sink of claim 8, wherein at least one heat dissipater of the plurality of heat dissipaters extends from the attachment structure in a direction away from the tab.

11. The heat sink of claim 10, wherein the at least one heat dissipater extends by a length that is substantially equal to half of a width of the substrate.

12. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein a length of the tab and a width of the substrate are configured such that the tab and the substrate have a combined width that is consistent with a width of the assembly rack.

13. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein thermally conductive adhesive is applied to thermally couple and electrically insulate the heat sink and the substrate, wherein the thermally conductive adhesive has a low thermal impedance and a high electrical resistance.

14. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the heat sink is configured to electrically couple to the ground plane via an electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection circuit.

15. The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the substrate is associated with a solid state drive.

16. A heat sink assembly comprising:

two heat sink components each configured to mechanically couple to a respective opposing edge of a substrate, wherein each heat sink component further comprises;

an attachment structure defining a slot configured to receive the respective opposing edge of the substrate and thermally couple to a ground plane of the substrate; and

a tab located opposite to the slot, the tab being configured to slide into a respective card guide slot of an assembly rack, such that in use, heat generated by at least one electronic component on the substrate is at least partially transferred through the ground plane to the attachment structure to be dissipated.

17. The heat sink component of claim 16, wherein for each heat sink component, the respective tab has a width substantially equal to a thickness of the substrate, and extends from the respective attachment structure, thereby being configured to mate with the respective card guide slot.

18. The heat sink component assembly of claim 16, further comprising:

a plurality of heat dissipaters coupled to the attachment structure, where the heat dissipaters are configured to increase the heat dissipation area of the heat sink component and at least partially dissipate heat generated by the at least one electronic component.

19. A memory heat sink, comprising:

an attachment structure defining a slot configured to receive an edge of a memory substrate and thermally couple to a ground plane of the memory substrate; and

a tab located opposite to the slot, the tab being configured to slide into a card guide slot of an assembly rack, such that in use, heat generated by at least one memory component on the memory substrate is at least partially transferred through the ground plane to the attachment structure to be dissipated.

20. The memory heat sink of claim 19, wherein the memory substrate is associated with a solid state drive.