thermal interface structure

Abstract

This invention provides a thermal interface structure disposed between a heat source and a heat transfer unit, comprising: a plastic metal skeleton having a central region and a peripheral region, wherein the plastic metal skeleton has at least one central protrusion in the central region; and a thermally conductive medium injected and disposed in the internal space; wherein, in a static, unpressurized state, the total thickness of the central region is greater than the total thickness of the peripheral region; thereby, when the assembly is pressurized, the interfacial gas and at least part of the thermally conductive medium are moved to the peripheral region and discharged, and the plastic metal skeleton undergoes an irreversible plastic deformation to increase the direct metal contact area, thereby simultaneously establishing a thermally conductive medium heat transfer path and a direct metal heat transfer path between the heat source and the heat transfer unit.

Claims

1. A thermal interface structure disposed between a first mating surface and a second mating surface, comprising: A plastic metal skeleton is a three-dimensional metal structure and is a ductile metal that can undergo reversible or irreversible deformation under pressure. The plastic metal skeleton has a central region and a peripheral region surrounding the central region. The plastic metal skeleton has at least one central protrusion in the central region that protrudes toward the first mating surface and / or the second mating surface. A thermally conductive medium is injected into the internal space of the plastic metal skeleton. In a static, unpressurized state, the total thickness of the central region is greater than the total thickness of the peripheral region.

2. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the plastic metal skeleton is a plastic structure without elastic recovery force, and its permanent deformation under pressure is less than 50%.

3. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the central protrusion is formed on one side of the plastic metal skeleton and faces the first mating surface.

4. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the central protrusion is formed on both sides of the plastic metal skeleton and faces the first mating surface and the second mating surface respectively.

5. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the geometry of the at least one central protrusion is selected from one of a hemispherical, arc-shaped, conical, pyramidal, or stepped structure.

6. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the Vickers hardness (Hv) of the plastic metal skeleton is less than 80.

7. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the surface of the plastic metal skeleton is covered with a metal coating, the material of which is selected from silver (Ag), gold (Au), aluminum (Al), nickel (Ni), tin (Sn) or alloys thereof.

8. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the surface of the plastic metal skeleton is partially or entirely covered with an insulating coating.

9. The thermal interface structure as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plastic metal skeleton has a plurality of interconnected spaces for the thermally conductive medium to be disposed therein.

10. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the central region and the peripheral region have different skeleton thicknesses, skeleton morphologies, skeleton porosity, or combinations thereof.

11. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the plastic metal skeleton comprises at least one metal interlayer.

12. The thermal interface structure as claimed in claim 11, wherein the metal interlayer has a strength weakening trench formed by grooves, indentations or thinning portions, the strength weakening trench being distributed radially outward from the center of the metal interlayer.

13. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 12, wherein the strength weakening trenches are formed by an imprinting process, and the imprinting depth of each strength weakening trench is less than the total thickness of the metal interlayer, so as to maintain the structural integrity of the metal interlayer.

14. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive medium is a thermally conductive paste.

15. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive medium is a phase-change thermally conductive paste.

16. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive medium is a moisture-curing colloid.

17. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive medium is a two-component (two-liquid) heat-curing adhesive.

18. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive medium is a two-component (two-liquid) room-temperature curing adhesive.

19. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermally conductive medium is a hot melt adhesive.

20. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the plastic metal skeleton is made by a copper powder sintering process.

21. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the first mating surface and the second mating surface are respectively selected from a bare die surface, an integrated heat sink (IHS) surface or a heat transfer unit surface.

22. The thermal interface structure as described in claim 1, wherein the thermal interface structure is directly sintered and bonded to the mating surface of a heat transfer unit.

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