THERMAL SOLUTIONS FOR SYSTEM-IN-PACKAGE ASSEMBLIES IN PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES

• US 20150382448A1
• Filed: 09/30/2014
• Published: 12/31/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: PENNATHUR, Shankar S., ENG, Michael, RIBAS, Carlos A.S., TEOMAN, Deniz
• Granted Patent: US 9,820,373 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/20 Cooling means
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2224/16227 the bump connector connecting to a bond pad of the item
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3121 a substrate forming part of the encapsulation
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/3128 the substrate having spherical bumps for external connection
• 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 23/36 Selection of materials, or shaping, to facilitate cooling or heating, e.g. heatsinks H01L23/28, H01L23/40, H01L23/42, H01L23/44, H01L23/46 take precedence; heating H01L23/345
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/4334 Auxiliary members in encapsulations H01L23/49568 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 23/552 Protection against radiation, e.g. light or electromagnetic waves
• 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: H01L 2924/15192 Resurf arrangement of the internal vias
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/19105 in a side-by-side arrangement on a common die mounting substrate
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 2924/3025 Electromagnetic shielding
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0203 Cooling of mounted components H05K1/0272 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0212 Printed circuits or mounted components having integral heating means
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/023 using auxiliary mounted passive components or auxiliary substances printed passive components H05K1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/284 for encapsulating mounted components H05K1/185 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 3/303 Surface mounted components, e.g. affixing before soldering, aligning means, spacing means H05K3/32 takes precedence

Abstract

A compact portable electronic device packaged into a System-in-Package assembly and thermal solutions for the device is disclosed. The compact portable electronic device can be assembled into a single package to reduce size and enhance form factor. Several tens or hundreds of components including multiple dies, passive components, mechanical or optical components can be packaged into a single system on a printed circuit board. One or more of the components can dissipate a lot of power resulting in the generation of excess heat. To remove the excess heat, the device can include one or more thermal solutions such as internal thermal plugs, heat spreaders, internal embedded heat sinks, and/or external heat sinks. In some examples, the thermal solutions can dissipate heat via conduction to the bottom of the substrate or via convection to the top of the system or a combination of both.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

a substrate; and

a system in package assembly comprising;

a plurality of components, the plurality of components including a first surface mounted to the substrate and a second surface, and

one or more heat conductors mounted to the second surface of at least one component, wherein at least one heat conductor is a thermal plug.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising another heat conductor, wherein the another heat conductor is at least one of an internal heat sink and an external heat sink.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the thermal plug is made from at least one of Copper and Steel.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the heat conductors is electrically coupled to a ground or ground plane.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising a heat sink mounted between the first surface of at least one of the plurality of components and the substrate.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a shielding structure, the shielding structure including an insulator and a shielding.

7. The device of claim 6, wherein the shielding is multifunctional and is configured as a heat spreader.

8. The device of claim 6, wherein the shielding and at least one heat conductor are electrically coupled.

9. The device of claim 6, wherein the shielding is electrically coupled to a ground or ground plane.

10. The device of claim 6, further comprising a plurality of trenches formed in the insulator, wherein a width of the plurality of trenches is between 10-100 microns.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein heat generated from one or more of the plurality of components is dissipated through conduction and convection.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the one or more heat conductors includes a plurality of thermal plugs and a plurality of heat sinks.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the plurality of thermals plugs and the plurality of heat sinks are arranged in an alternating pattern.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising mounting a heat sink between the first surface of at least one of the plurality of components and the substrate.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising forming a shielding structure, wherein forming the shielding structure includes forming an insulator and forming a shielding.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the insulator is formed using at least one of a tape-assisted transfer molding process, lapping, polishing, and etching.

14. A method for forming an electronic device, comprising:

forming a substrate; and

forming a system in package assembly, comprising;

mounting a first surface of a plurality of components to the substrate, and

mounting one or more heat conductors to a second surface of at least one of the plurality of components, wherein at least one of the one or more heat conductors is a thermal plug.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more heat conductors includes another heat conductor, the another heat conductor is at least one of an internal heat sink and an external heat sink.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more heat conductors includes a plurality of thermal plugs and a plurality of heat sinks.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more heat conductors includes a first set of heat conductors and a second set of heat conductors and mounting one or more heat conductors comprises:

mounting the plurality of thermal plugs to the first set of heat conductors, the first set of heat conductors including the one or more heat conductors with a height below a predetermined value; and

mounting the plurality of heat sinks to the second set of heat conductors, the second set of heat conductors including the one or more heat conductors with a height above the predetermined value.