System for applying material to a component

Abstract

A system for applying material to a component is provided. Systems for applying material (e.g., thermal interface material, other material, etc.) from a supply of material (e.g., a roll, a disk, a tape, etc.) to a component, a substrate, an element, a board, other material, or other target surface are disclosed. In example embodiments, the system includes a tool (e.g., a roller, a rolling device, etc.) configured to move relative to the supply of material to position a portion of the material from the supply along the component (or other target surface) to force air pockets and / or air bubbles out of, out of, or away from the portion of material as the tool moves relatively along the portion of material.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems for applying material to a component. Background Art

[0002] This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.

[0003] Electrical components such as semiconductors, integrated circuit packages, and transistors typically have a pre-designed temperature at which they operate optimally. Ideally, this pre-designed temperature is close to the temperature of the surrounding air. However, the operation of electrical components generates heat. If this heat is not removed, the components can operate at temperatures significantly higher than their normal or expected operating temperature. This excessively high temperature can adversely affect the operating characteristics of the electrical components and the operation of associated devices.

[0004] To avoid or at least reduce adverse operating characteristics resulting from heat generation, heat removal should be performed, for example, by conducting heat from the operating electrical component to a heat sink. The heat sink is then cooled by conventional convection and / or radiation techniques. During conduction, heat can be transferred from the operating electrical component to the heat sink by direct surface contact between the electrical component and the heat sink and / or by contact between the electrical component and the heat sink surface via an intermediate medium or thermal interface material. To improve heat transfer efficiency, a thermal interface material can be used to fill the gap between the heat transfer surfaces, compared to filling the gap with air, a poor thermal conductor.

[0005] Heat spreaders are commonly used to spread heat from one or more heat-generating components so that the heat is not concentrated in a small area when it is transferred to a heat sink. An integrated heat spreader (IHS) is a type of heat spreader that can be used to spread the heat generated by the operation of a central processing unit (CPU) or processor die. An integrated heat spreader or cover (e.g., the cover of an integrated circuit (IC) package) is typically a thermally conductive metal (e.g., copper) plate mounted atop the CPU or processor die.

[0006] Heat spreaders are also commonly used (eg, as covers, etc.) to protect electronic components mounted on chips or boards, often in conjunction with sealed packages. Therefore, heat spreaders may also be referred to herein as covers, and vice versa.

[0007] A first thermal interface material or layer (referred to as TIM1) can be used between the integrated heat spreader or lid and the heat source to reduce hot spots and generally lower the temperature of the heat-generating component or device. A second thermal interface material or layer (referred to as TIM2) can be used between the lid or integrated heat spreader and the heat sink to improve the efficiency of heat transfer from the heat spreader to the heat sink.

[0008] For example, Figure 1An exemplary electronic device 11 is illustrated having a TIM1 or first thermal interface material 15. Figure 1 As shown, TIM1 or thermal interface material 15 is positioned between a heat spreader or cover 19 and a heat source 21 , which may include one or more heat-generating components or devices (e.g., a CPU, a die within an underfill, a semiconductor device, a flip-chip device, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a multi-processor system, an integrated circuit, a multi-core processor, etc.), a battery, a solar panel, etc. TIM2 or a second thermal interface material 25 is positioned between a heat sink 29 and the heat spreader or cover 19 .

[0009] For example, heat source 21 may include a central processing unit (CPU) or processor die mounted on a printed circuit board (PCB) 33. PCB 33 may be constructed of FR4 (a flame retardant fiberglass reinforced epoxy laminate) or other suitable material. Also in this example, heat spreader or cover 19 is an integrated heat spreader (IHS) that may include metal or other thermally conductive structures. Heat spreader or cover 19 includes a peripheral ridge, flange, or sidewall portion 37. Adhesive 41 is applied to and along peripheral ridge 37 to attach heat spreader or cover 19 to PCB 33. Thus, peripheral ridge 37 may protrude downwardly enough to extend around the silicon die on PCB 33, thereby allowing contact between adhesive 41 on peripheral ridge 37 and PCB 33. Advantageously, adhesively attaching heat spreader or cover 19 to PCB 33 may also help reinforce the package attached to the base PCB. Figure 1 Also shown is a pin connector 45. The heat sink 29 may generally comprise a base from which a series of fins project outwardly.

[0010] As another example, an exemplary electronic device may include a thermal interface material positioned between a heat source and a heat sink without any intervening heat spreader. In this example, the thermal interface material may be positioned directly between and / or against the heat sink and the heat source, which may include one or more heat-generating components or devices (e.g., a CPU, a mold within an underfill, a semiconductor device, a flip-chip device, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a multi-processor system, an integrated circuit, a multi-core processor, etc.), a battery, a solar panel, etc. Summary of the Invention

[0011] This section provides a general summary of the disclosure, and is not a comprehensive disclosure of its full scope or all of its features.

[0012] Disclosed is a system for applying a material (e.g., thermal interface material, other material, etc.) from a supply (e.g., a roll, a disk, a tape, etc.) of material to a component, substrate, element, plate, other material, or other target surface. In an exemplary embodiment, the system includes a tool (e.g., a roller, a rolling device, etc.) configured to move relative to the supply of material to position a portion of the material from the supply along the component (or other target surface) such that air pockets and / or bubbles are forced out of, squeezed out of, or removed from the portion of the material as the tool is moved relative to the portion of the material.

[0013] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.The description and specific examples in this summary are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] The drawings described herein are for illustrative purposes only of selected embodiments and not all possible implementations, and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary electronic device showing a thermal interface material (TIM1) positioned between a cover (e.g., an integrated heat spreader (IHS), etc.) and a heat source (e.g., one or more heat generating components, a central processing unit (CPU), a die, a semiconductor device, etc.).

[0016] Figure 2 An exemplary system for applying a thermal interface material to a cover according to an exemplary embodiment is illustrated.

[0017] Figure 3 Illustrated using Figure 2 The system of the exemplary embodiment shown illustrates exemplary shapes that are possible for thermal interface materials (eg, stars, arrows, squares, rectangles, ovals, etc.).

[0018] Figure 4 is a perspective view of an exemplary embodiment of a tool configured to operatively transfer portions of a material (e.g., thermal interface material, other material, etc.) from a supply of material (e.g., a roll, disk, tape, etc.) to a substrate, component, part, or other target surface.

[0019] Figure 5 yes Figure 1 A perspective view of the tool is shown, and also illustrates a strip or ribbon including a gasket and thermal interface material (TIM) positioned across the tool and between spring-loaded compressible and / or retractable guide pins.

[0020] Figure 6 Examples include Figure 4 and Figure 5 An exemplary system for applying material to a part, component, substrate, or other target, including the tool shown.

[0021] Figure 7 Illustrated are three different die cutting modes (A, B, C) that may be used when applying material to a substrate, component, part, or other target surface according to an exemplary embodiment.

[0022] Figures 8 to 20 An exemplary embodiment of a system for applying a material (e.g., thermal interface material, other material, etc.) from a supply (e.g., a roll, a disk, a tape, etc.) of material (e.g., thermal interface material, other material, etc.) to a target surface (e.g., a component, a substrate, a component, a plate, a target surface of other material, other target surface, etc.) is illustrated. In this exemplary embodiment, the system includes a tool (e.g., a roller, a rolling device, etc.) configured to be movable relative to the supply of material to position a portion of the material from the supply along the component (or other target surface) such that air pockets and / or bubbles are forced out of, squeezed out of, or removed from the portion of the material as the tool is relatively moved along the portion of the material.

[0023] Figure 21 Illustrated Figures 8 to 20 The tool and rolling device / rollers of the system are shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Example embodiments will now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Conventional phase change material (PCM) coating processes often involve tabbed PCB components and are costly. End users or customers may have issues properly coating tabbed components and / or issues with liner release. With conventional coating processes, TIM component configurations, shapes, and sizes are limited. Furthermore, maintaining the PCM material clean during any subsequent steps after formation in a clean room can be difficult. Transporting tabbed components without distortion can also be challenging.

[0026] Thermal interface materials are typically provided as thermal pads with release liners disposed on both sides of the thermal pad. In this case, a common installation method is to peel off one of the two release liners, attach the thermal pad to the target area with the remaining release liner exposed or on top, and then peel the remaining release liner off the thermal pad. However, some conventional phase change thermal interface materials are relatively prone to rupture when the release liner is peeled off. Accordingly, disclosed herein are systems and processes for applying materials (e.g., phase change thermal interface materials, other thermal interface materials, etc.) to components that can help reduce failure rates, such as by reducing rupture of the material when peeling off the release liner and / or mitigating air entrapment and / or removing air pockets and / or bubbles within the material.

[0027] Disclosed herein are exemplary embodiments of systems and processes for applying (e.g., pushing, pressing, compacting, removing, severing, tearing, cutting, blowing, stamping, transferring, etc. from a supply) a wide range of materials (e.g., thermal interface materials (TIMs), conductive elastomers, electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorbers, EMI shielding materials, dielectric materials, thermally conductive materials, other interface materials, combinations thereof, individual layers, stacked layers thereof, etc.) to a wide range of components, substrates, and parts (such as lids or integrated heat spreaders for integrated circuit (IC) packages, board-level shields (e.g., removable lids or covers for board-level shields (BLS)), heat sources (e.g., central processing units (CPUs)), etc.), heat removal / heat dissipation structures or parts (e.g., heat spreaders, heat sinks, heat pipes, vapor chambers, device housings or casings, etc.), films, and other substrates, etc.).

[0028] In an exemplary embodiment, a tool is used to transfer a TIM or other material from a feedstock (broadly, a supply) to a target component, part, or substrate. The tool may include a size and shape (e.g., Figure 3 one or more shapes shown, etc.) using a cut or custom made (e.g., formed and sized as shown) Figure 4 The mold of the rectangle shown, etc. Figure 3310 represents a thermal interface material. In operation, a mold can be moved relative to and pressed against a liner (e.g., a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) carrier and / or release liner, etc.) disposed along a surface (e.g., top or upper surface) of a supply (e.g., a roll, a reel, etc.) of a thermal interface material (e.g., a phase change material (PCM), other TIM, etc.) or other material (e.g., a conductive elastomer, an electromagnetic interference (EMI) absorber, an EMI shielding material, a dielectric material, combinations thereof, individual or stacked layers thereof, etc.) (e.g., downwardly, upwardly, laterally, diagonally, rotationally, etc.). In some embodiments, the mold can be moved relative to and pressed against the liner, along with pressure, dwell, heating, cooling, temperature control, etc., which can facilitate cutting, adhering, or releasing the TIM or other material from the liner.

[0029] Movement of the mold relative to the liner also moves the portion of the TIM or other material to be transferred or applied from the supply to the substrate or component. As the mold is removed and moved relatively away from (e.g., lifted upwardly) the TIM or other material, the liner is also removed from the portion of the TIM or other material. Portions of the TIM or other material of a specific customer-required size and shape remain, for example, on a cover, heat source, heat removal / heat spreading structure, etc. During removal of the TIM or other material from the supply, the mold can be configured to reduce material thickness, create adhesion, and tear the TIM or other material from the supply.

[0030] The machine or press used to press the mold (e.g., downwardly, upwardly, laterally, diagonally, rotationally, etc.) with the liner can range from manually hand-operated presses to highly automated machines. In some embodiments, at least a portion of the liner can remain on the portion of the TIM or other material applied to the substrate or component, where the remaining liner portion can be useful for protection, providing a label, providing a tab, and / or other reasons.

[0031] In an exemplary embodiment, the supply of material includes a supply (e.g., a roll, a reel, a tape, etc.) of a thermal interface material, such as a phase change material (PCM) or other non-metallic TIM (e.g., a plastic TIM, a silicone elastomer TIM, etc.). In other exemplary embodiments, the supply of material may include a wide range of other materials (such as other TIMs, non-thermally enhanced materials, thermal insulators, dielectric insulation, electrical insulators, conductive elastomers, EMI absorbers, EMI shielding materials, polymeric materials, adhesive materials, other interface materials, combinations thereof, individual layers thereof, stacked layers thereof, etc.).

[0032] In an exemplary embodiment, a compaction tool is used to compact a TIM or other material onto a substrate or component (e.g., a cap, a BLS, a heat source, a heat removal / dissipation structure, etc.). The compaction tool may include a cavity and a resilient material (e.g., cotton, cork, gel, gel pack, rubber, elastomer, resilient plastic, a springy or spongy material, a fiber material, an insulating material, other resilient material, etc.) within the cavity. For example, the compaction tool may include a central foam core or a foam-filled core. Alternatively, the compaction tool may include another resilient material within the cavity or no cavity at all.

[0033] A die can be used to remove (e.g., cut, tear, sever, etc.) the TIM or other material through the liner without having to pierce the liner. The die can be integral with or separate from the compaction tool. In an exemplary embodiment, the TIM or other material is non-metallic such that there are no diffusion bonds or welded joints between the non-metallic and the substrate or component (e.g., lid, BLS, heat source, heat removal / dissipation structure, etc.). Instead, the non-metallic can be naturally adhesive and adhere to the liner or component without the need for any additional adhesive (although adhesives can also be used).

[0034] The die may include one or more blades and / or at least one edge configured (e.g., flat, pointed, sharp, etc.) to cut, tear, or sever one or more edges or sides (e.g., a single side or edge, two sides or edges, all sides or edges, etc.) of the TIM or other material from a supply. In exemplary embodiments, the die may include a blade die (e.g., a steel blade die, etc.), a knife die (e.g., a rounded knife die, etc.), a rotary die, a steel straight-grain die with a blade, a rounded or blunted edge, etc. In alternative embodiments, the die comprises an integrated circuit die (e.g., a block of semiconductor material) having one or more edges configured to cut, sever, or sever one or more edges or sides (e.g., a single side or edge, two sides or edges, all sides or edges, etc.) of the TIM or other material compacted onto the integrated circuit die by a compaction tool. In yet another embodiment, the compaction tool may be operable to cut, tear, or sever the TIM or other material without using a separate die (e.g., without using the blade of a knife die, etc.). In this latter example, the compaction tool may include an elastic material (e.g., a foam-filled cavity, a central foam core, etc.) that can be used to compact and transfer (e.g., cut, tear, sever, etc.) a TIM or other material from a supply (e.g., a roll, disk, tape, etc.) to a substrate or component.

[0035] In an exemplary embodiment, a rolling rotary die can be used to apply or transfer a TIM or other material from a supply to a component or substrate. For example, a rolling rotary die can be used to apply or transfer a TIM or other material from a reel or roll to a surface of a component or substrate. This can be achieved by reel-to-reel or reel-to-reel operation of the rotary die between a supply reel or roll and a take-up or scrap reel or roll. The system components can be operated at a given speed to achieve rotational transfer of a portion of the material from the supply reel or roll to the substrate or component surface.

[0036] In exemplary embodiments, TIMs and other materials can be provided with a textured and / or patterned surface during application or transfer from a supply to a component or substrate. Thus, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein include methods for texturizing surfaces and / or creating textured or patterned surfaces on TIMs and other materials. TIMs or other materials can be transferred from a carrier or feed liner or other supply to a heat sink, cover, other component, substrate, or component, etc. It has been found that even the slightest imperfections in the liner are transferred to the TIM or other material during the application / transfer process. For example, a thick layer of ink used for marking on the liner can be embossed into the TIM or other material applied or transferred from the liner to the component or substrate. As another example, a textured portion of a tool (e.g., a textured foam core of a mold, a textured elastomeric material within a mold cavity, etc.) can be used to provide texture to the surface of the TIM or other material as the textured portion of the tool is used to compact, press, or otherwise apply the TIM or other material from the carrier liner to the component or substrate. As another example, a separate stencil can also be used between a carrier liner and a tool (e.g., between a foam core of a mold, etc.) during the transfer process to create and leave a texture on a TIM or other material that is transferred from a carrier liner to a component or substrate. As yet another example, one or more markings from an article between the back side of a foam core (or another elastic material) and a tool can also be transferred from the article to provide texturing to the surface of the TIM or other material being transferred to the component or substrate. This discovery allows for microtexturing of TIM and other materials during the coating / transfer process. Surface texturing can improve or aid in air removal and pressure reduction during assembly. Surface texturing can reduce contact with components and make the TIM or other material softer and more compliant. Texturing can also be used to create identification marks on a TIM or other material that is transferred or applied from a liner or other supply. Microtextured surfaces on TIM or other materials can also provide EMI shielding and / or absorption benefits. Conductive ink or other conductive substance on the liner can be transferred from the liner to a TIM or other material to create a textured surface (eg, frequency selective surface (FSS), mesh, etc.) for EMI shielding purposes.

[0037] In an exemplary embodiment, because only a portion of the TIM or other material can be transferred from the liner and remain on the component or substrate, the liner can be completely removed and not left behind. In an alternative embodiment, at least a portion of the carrier liner can remain on the portion of the TIM or other material transferred from the carrier liner to the substrate or component. For example, this can be accomplished by cutting through the carrier liner using high pressure and / or a sharp die. The remaining portion of the carrier liner transferred along with the TIM or other material from the carrier liner can be useful for protection as a protective cover, providing a label, providing a tab, and / or other reasons. In other embodiments, a downstream auxiliary action can be employed to subsequently add a cover, tab, or liner to the portion of the TIM or other material previously applied to the substrate or component. The subsequently added cover, tab, or liner can be useful for protection during shipping, providing a label, providing a tab, and / or other reasons. For example, if components are not assembled in a timely manner, the TIM or other material may be susceptible to contamination or other defects, making a protective cover useful, for example, during shipping, installation, and assembly.

[0038] In an exemplary embodiment, a tool (e.g., a mold, etc.) is used to compact a TIM or other material from a supply to a substrate or component (e.g., a cap, BLS, heat source, heat removal / dissipation structure, etc.). The tool may include a cavity and an elastic material within the cavity. The elastic material may include a specially shaped foam piece that allows for mitigation of air entrapment and removal of air pockets. The foam shape may be configured to apply an air / bubble-free material to a larger component size (e.g., approximately 20 millimeters (mm), etc.). The foam shape may be cylindrical or cylindrical, hemispherical, chamfered, or flat piece that is inserted into the mold with a curved surface (e.g., oversized or bracketed, etc.).

[0039] Due to the nature of the materials involved, the application of irregular and / or complex geometric elements may not be feasible using conventional peel and stick methods. Instead, conventional peel and stick method elements are generally limited to square or rectangular shapes. The exemplary embodiments disclosed herein can be used to apply or transfer elements having complex geometric structures and / or irregular shapes such as circles, letters, elements with negative space, other shapes such as Figure 3 Elements or portions of TIM or other materials in the shapes shown (e.g., stars, arrows, squares, ovals, etc.).

[0040] In some exemplary embodiments, a single element or portion of a thermal interface material (TIM) or other material can be applied or transferred to a single component or substrate in a single motion (e.g., a single stroke, a single press of the mold, etc.). In other exemplary embodiments, multiple elements or portions of the same or different TIM and / or other materials can be applied or transferred simultaneously to different areas of the same component or substrate, for example, in a single motion or multiple upward strokes of the mold. In still other exemplary embodiments, multiple elements or portions of the same or different TIM and / or other materials can be applied or transferred simultaneously to multiple components or substrates, for example, by using a multiple upward mold (e.g., in a single press of the mold).

[0041] In some exemplary embodiments, a single action (e.g., a single stroke, a single press of a mold, etc.) is performed that includes adhering the TIM or other material to the component or substrate using a foam core (or other elastic material) and imprinting the TIM or other material for release using a mold blade (e.g., the blade of a steel straight grain mold, a knife mold, an integrated circuit mold, etc.). Adhering and imprinting can be accomplished in a single stroke. In other exemplary embodiments, multiple actions (e.g., multiple strokes, etc.) can be performed to adhere and imprint the TIM or other material. This can include first adhering or pre-adhering the TIM or other material with foam or other elastic material, and then imprinting the TIM or other material for release using a mold (e.g., a knife mold, a steel straight grain mold, a knife mold, an integrated circuit mold, etc.) in a separate action. Pre-adhering and imprinting can be performed on the same machine or on separate machines. Advantageously, adhering and imprinting in a single action can help alleviate air entrapment and / or allow for a faster overall process.

[0042] In some exemplary embodiments, multiple actions (e.g., multiple passes, multiple print actions, etc.) can be performed to stack materials of the same material or different materials (e.g., TIM on TIM, etc.). Advantageously, this can allow for fewer SKUs (stock keeping units) by allowing a single thick layer to be built in the same location using multiple actions (e.g., multiple 25 micron thick layers built into a final thick layer, etc.). This can also allow different layers to be placed or stacked on top of each other (e.g., a bottom or first TIM layer, a middle or second dielectric layer, and a top or third TIM layer, etc.). This can also allow for easier rework if not enough material was added.

[0043] In some exemplary embodiments, a mold is used to emboss the TIM or other material to be transferred. For example, the edge of a lifted chassis or integrated circuit can be used to perform the embossing required to release and transfer the TIM or other material from a supply. An oversized elastic material (e.g., foam, etc.) or an oversized mold including a core or cavity filled with an elastic material (e.g., foam, etc.) can be used to complete the transfer of the embossed TIM or other material to the lifted chassis or integrated circuit. Advantageously, this process can allow the entire surface of the lifted chassis or integrated circuit to be covered with the TIM or other material.

[0044] Sometimes, thermal interface material or other materials may be needed on both sides of an element, substrate, or component. In some exemplary embodiments, a dual head (e.g., a dual print head, etc.) that pushes the target element, component, or substrate in an up / down, left / right, rotational, or other motion can be used to apply the thermal interface material or other material to both sides of the target element. The material applied to one side can be the same or different from the material applied to the other side of the element. By applying the TIM or other material to both sides of the element simultaneously, exemplary embodiments can allow for reduced processing and fixing time and / or cost compared to processes in which the TIM can be applied to both sides of the element sequentially and not simultaneously.

[0045] Due to the construction or design of a target component, it may sometimes be necessary to print, apply, or transfer a TIM or other material in various directions other than up / down. Some exemplary embodiments include multi-directional printing capabilities, allowing the TIM or other material to be printed, applied, or transferred to a target component in various directions (including, but not limited to, up / down, sideways, diagonally, rotated, reversed, etc.). This can include printing, applying, or transferring the TIM or other material on multiple sides (e.g., both sides, etc.) or multiple target surfaces.

[0046] With reference to the accompanying drawings, Figure 2 An exemplary system 100 for applying (eg, transferring from one or more supplies, etc.) a material to a component according to an exemplary embodiment embodying one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. Figure 2The thermal interface material 120 (broadly, material) is shown applied to a lid or integrated heat spreader 124 (broadly, component), but the system 100 can also be used to apply the thermal interface material 120 and other materials to a wide range of other components and substrates (such as a board-level shield (e.g., a removable lid or cover of a board-level shield (BLS)), a heat source (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), etc.), a heat removal / heat dissipation structure or component (e.g., a heat spreader, a heat sink, a heat pipe, a vapor chamber, a device housing or casing, etc.), an uneven surface or ridge (e.g., along a series of connected heat pipes, etc.), etc.). Thus, aspects of the present disclosure should not be limited to use with any single type of material, substrate, component, component, or to applying the thermal interface material to any specific location or portion of a substrate, component, or component.

[0047] like Figure 2 As shown, system 100 includes an extruder 104 coupled to a die 108. In operation, extruder 104 and die 108 are operable to compact and cut, sever, tear, etc., a portion of a strip or ribbon 112 including a liner 116 and a thermal interface material (TIM) 120 disposed beneath die 108. As disclosed herein, alternative embodiments may include tooling configured differently than extruder 104 and die 108.

[0048] For example, the mold 108 may include a rounded knife die. The rounded knife die may include a foam-filled core. In alternative embodiments, the mold 108 may include a cavity or core filled with various elastic materials, such as cotton, cork, gel, gel packs, rubber, elastomers, elastic plastics, springy or spongy materials, fiber materials, insulating materials, etc. In still other embodiments, the mold 108 may not require a core filled with an elastic material, depending on the specific type of material being applied or transferred by the system 100.

[0049] In this example, the foam-filled core of the mold 108 can compact the TIM 120 downward onto a corresponding one of the caps 124 located below the mold 108. A rounding die can then, for example, remove (e.g., cut, tear, sever, etc.) the TIM 120 through the liner 116 without having to pierce the liner 116. During this removal operation, the TIM 120 is extruded downward, and the liner 116 is pushed through the TIM 120 by the mold 108, which causes the TIM 120 to be severed, torn, or cut from itself without cutting the liner 116. While a very thin portion of the TIM 120 may remain between the cap 124 and the liner 116, this portion is so thin that it separates from the remainder of the TIM 120 when the TIM 120 is substantially cut. By way of example, the TIM 120 may begin with an initial thickness of approximately 125 microns. The mold 108 can force the liner 116 down into the TIM 120 until the TIM thickness is reduced to about 25 microns or is pushed out of the way. Thus, the TIM 120 can thus have beveled edges on all four sides as a result of this method.

[0050] like Figure 2 As shown, when mold 108 is removed, TIM 120 can remain on cover 124 and the next portion of strip 112 and the next cover 124 are moved into position below mold 108. For example, cover 124 can be advanced or moved relative to mold 108 via a conveyor belt or other feed / conveyor mechanism.

[0051] In the illustrated embodiment, the material strip 112, including the liner 116 and the TIM 120, is a coiled material from a supply or roll 128. Rollers 132, 136, 140 are used to unwind the material strip 112 from the supply 124 of coiled material and advance it to a position below the die 108 for compaction and cutting. After the TIM 120 has been compacted and removed from the strip 112 and coated and transferred to the cover 124, the remaining material strip 144 can be collected or recycled, for example, by being wound onto a scrap roll 148, allowed to fall into a waste basket, etc. In other embodiments, more or fewer rollers can be used, and / or a material strip that does not begin on a roll can be used. In this case, the material strip can be placed into position by hand, with a clamp, or by automated means.

[0052] In an exemplary embodiment, the system 100 preferably utilizes the material strip as much as possible to minimize or at least reduce waste during the coating process (e.g., minimize the amount of TIM material left on the liner, etc.). Figure 2As shown, the covers 124 are spaced apart a distance greater than the distance the strip 112 is advanced after each compaction and cutting (or, more broadly, removal) operation. After each compaction and cutting operation, the strip 112 is advanced only a distance sufficient to allow the next portion of the strip 112 to be compacted and cut, severed, torn, etc., to apply the TIM 120 to the next cover 124 (e.g., a minimum distance). In an exemplary embodiment, the width of the TIM 120 along the liner 116 can be equal to the width of the sheet into which the TIM 120 is compacted and applied / transferred to the covers 124. In another exemplary embodiment, the width of the TIM 120 along the liner 116 (e.g., 1 inch, etc.) can be greater than the width of the sheet into which the TIM 120 is compacted and applied / transferred to the covers 124 (e.g., 3 / 4 inch, etc.).

[0053] In an exemplary embodiment, the strip of material 112 may also include an underliner disposed along the lower surface or bottom of the TIM 120. In such an embodiment, the underliner may be removed manually or automatically without human intervention (e.g., using a rewind and stripper bar, etc.) before the mold 108 applies the TIM 120 to the cover 124.

[0054] In an exemplary embodiment, system 100 may include one or more heaters to apply or increase heat to the top and / or to apply or increase heat to the base or bottom. Heat can aid in cutting, tearing, severing, etc. of material and / or adhering the material to the component. Alternatively, for example, heat can be used to cut or otherwise remove (e.g., without a knife or blade, etc.) a portion of material from a supply. Additionally or alternatively, system 100 may be configured with, for example, a cooling, thermoelectric module added to the top and a mold for cutting a TIM, etc. In some exemplary embodiments, a mold may be added to the top plate.

[0055] The roll 128 (broadly, the supply) can be provided in various sizes (such as 0.5 inches (12.7 millimeters (mm)), 1 inch (25.4 mm), etc.). The roll width can be selected based on the component size. For example, if the cover 124 (broadly, the component) is 10 mm by 5 mm, a roll with a width of 0.5 inches (12.7 mm) can be used. The roll 128 is placed on an unwinder and passed through the coater or system 100. If the roll 128 includes an underlayment, the underlayment can be removed along with the material with a small rewind. The cover 124 and mold 108 can be oriented in the coater or system 100 to maximize the utilization of the thermal interface material. The cover 124 can be placed in a fixture during the coating step to ensure good or perfect positioning and TIM placement. For small batches, orientation can be performed manually by hand, but for large batches, orientation can be performed automatically, for example, by an automated table (e.g., a rotating table or other table). The system 100 may include a sensor system that advances the roll of TIM material for the next TIM coating. Alternatively, the system 100 may be configured with a set distance advancement process. Heating and cooling may be provided to improve coating robustness.

[0056] Figures 4 to 6 An exemplary embodiment of a tool 202 for implementing one or more aspects of the present disclosure is illustrated. The tool 202 is configured to be operable to transfer a portion of a material (e.g., thermal interface material, other material, etc.) from a material supply (e.g., a roll, a disk, a tape, etc.) to a substrate, component, part, or other target surface. The tool 202 may be used with Figure 2 The system 100 shown in FIG. 1 may be used in conjunction with another suitable system.

[0057] In this exemplary embodiment, tool 202 includes a die 208 (e.g., a blade die, etc.) configured to cut a portion of the material along only one edge or side of the portion of the material. Tool 202 also includes a resilient material 210 for compacting, pressing, pushing, etc., the entire portion of the material so that as the portion of the material is applied to the component, the remaining attached edges or sides of the portion of the material are torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material.

[0058] The mold 208 can have a closed shape (e.g., rectangular, non-rectangular, etc.). The tool 202 can include a cavity filled with one or more different resilient materials 210, such as cotton, cork, gel, gel packs, rubber, elastomers, resilient plastics, resilient or spongy materials, fiber materials, insulating materials, other resilient materials, etc. For example, the mold 208 can include a blade mold having a foam-filled core or a central foam core. In other embodiments, depending on the specific type of material being applied or transferred by the system 100, the mold 108 may not require a core filled with a resilient material.

[0059] The elastic material 210 of the tool 202 may comprise a sheet of elastic material (e.g., foam, etc.) having a specific shape that allows for mitigation of air entrapment and for removing air pockets and / or bubbles. In the illustrated embodiment, the elastic material 210 may comprise a foam having a convex curve, an outwardly curved shape, or other suitable non-flat shape that is configured to squeeze or force bubbles or air pockets out of the material portion when the foam is pressed or pushed as the portion of material is applied to the component to cause the uncut side or edge of the portion of material to be torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material.

[0060] One or more alignment members 214 (e.g., pins, posts, guides, spring-loaded retractable pins, etc.) are positioned or arranged around the die 208. The alignment members 214 can be configured to help align a material supply (e.g., a roll of material, etc.) and to press against the material-coated portion of the component to help inhibit lifting as the liner is peeled off.

[0061] In the illustrated exemplary embodiment, the alignment member 214 includes a set of four pins or posts, each of which is adjacent to one of the four corners of the rectangular blade die 208 in this example. The four pins or posts 214 can be retractable, compressible, spring-loaded, or otherwise configured to press against the component and / or apply a force (e.g., a spring force, etc.) against the component to help inhibit lifting when the liner is peeled or otherwise removed from the portion of the material applied to the component. In an exemplary embodiment, the four pins or posts 214 are retractable relative to a support surface or substrate 218 to which the pins or posts 214 are mounted and / or coupled.

[0062] A cooling unit, cooling module, or device (e.g., a recirculating chiller, a thermoelectric module, etc.) can be positioned before or upstream of tool 202. The cooling module can be used to reduce the temperature of the material before the portion of the material is applied to the component. Reducing the temperature of the material can increase the hardness of the material and reduce the release force required to peel the liner from the material. The increased material hardness and reduced release force will make it easier to peel or otherwise remove the liner from the portion of the material applied to the component, which in turn can reduce the failure rate associated with material cracking during liner stripping.

[0063] As in Figure 6, the extruder 204 is coupled to the die 208. In operation, the extruder 204, the die 208, and the elastomeric material 210 apply a portion of the thermal interface material from a supply 212 (e.g., a strip or tape including a liner 216 and a TIM 220, etc.) to a component or target 224. For example, applying the portion of the TIM 220 to the target 224 may include moving (e.g., lowering, etc.) the die 208 relative to the target 224 via the extruder 204 and pressing the die 208 against the target 224 for a period of time (e.g., a pause of 2 or 3 seconds, etc.), and then moving (e.g., raising, etc.) the die 208 relative to the target 224.

[0064] At this point, the liner 216 needs to be peeled, separated, or removed from the TIM 220. In conventional processes, the bottom of the target 224 can be slightly lifted and then fall due to the release force (if the weight is greater than the release force). This, if not checked, can increase the rate of material failures such as cracks, bubbles, etc. In the exemplary embodiment disclosed herein, pins 214 are disposed around the mold 208, which can help eliminate this problem. For example, when the mold 208 is pressed against the target 224, the pins 214 can be compressed or retracted. When the mold 208 is moved away from the target 224 (e.g., lifted, etc.), the pins 214 can then provide a force against the target 224 (e.g., the spring force from a compressed spring-loaded pin, etc.) to help hold the target 224 down in place and inhibit lifting of the target 224.

[0065] The pins 214 also help guide and align the material 212 and position it relative to the mold 208 and the part 224. This in turn can provide better positioning accuracy in the Y direction, which is Figure 6 The vertical direction in .

[0066] This exemplary embodiment can be used to apply or transfer portions of a TIM or other material from a disk or roll onto a surface of a component or substrate, such as Figure 2 In this example of reel-to-reel or roll-to-roll processing, tooling 202 (e.g., blade die 208 and foam 210, etc.) is located on a supply reel or roll (e.g., Figure 2 supply body 128, etc.) and take-up or waste discs or rolls (e.g., Figure 2 The system components can be operated at a given speed so that portions of material are transferred from the supply roll or disk to the surface of the substrate or component.

[0067] This exemplary embodiment, including tool 202, can provide one or more (but not necessarily any or all) of the following features or advantages, such as easier transfer from a roll of material to a target surface, more precise positioning of the material on the target surface, a wider and / or greater variety of available target surfaces, etc. Utilizing alignment member 214 and die 208, the system can be used to apply material to a component without the need for a fixture. Alignment member 214 can be used to guide the material to the correct position relative to die 208 and elastomeric material 214 (e.g., below, etc.) and relative to (e.g., above, etc.) the component for application of the material to the component.

[0068] As described above, tool 202 can be used with Figure 1 1. The system 100 shown in FIG. 1 is used in conjunction with the die 108. In such an exemplary embodiment, the die blade 208 can cut along only a single side or edge of a portion of the TIM 120, and the elastic material 210 can compact or press the TIM 120 downward onto a corresponding one of the covers 124 located below the die 108. The tool 202 can be used to remove (e.g., cut, tear, sever, etc.) the TIM 120 with the aid of the liner 116, e.g., without piercing the liner 116. During this removal operation, the TIM 120 can be pressed downward and the liner 116 is pushed through the TIM 120 with the tool 202, which results in the TIM 120 being severed, torn, or cut from itself without cutting the liner 116. Although a very thin portion of the TIM 120 can remain between the cover 124 and the liner 116, the portion is so thin that it is separated from the rest of the TIM 120, essentially severing the TIM 120.

[0069] like Figure 2 As shown, the TIM 120 can remain on the cover 124 while the mold 208 and elastic material 210 are removed and the next portion of the strip 112 and the next cover 124 are moved into position beneath the mold 208 and elastic material 210. For example, the cover 124 can be advanced or moved relative to the mold 208 and elastic material 210 via a conveyor belt or other feed / conveyor mechanism.

[0070] Figure 7 Three different cutting modes (A, B, and C) are illustrated that can be used when applying material to a substrate, component, part, or other target surface according to an exemplary embodiment. Reference numeral 111 indicates a material supply, reference 222 indicates a material portion, reference 333 indicates material retention, and reference 444 indicates no material retention. As shown, the first die cutting mode (A) involves cutting all four sides or edges with a blade die. This first die cutting mode (A) results in a significant loss of material (residue), but the dimensional accuracy established by the blade die is excellent.

[0071] The second die-cutting mode (B) involves cutting two opposing sides or edges with a blade die. This second die-cutting mode (B) reduces material loss (waste) compared to the first die-cutting mode (A). However, using the second die-cutting mode (B) requires different roll widths to meet varying width requirements, as the width of the applied material (e.g., TIM, etc.) is determined by or equal to the roll width.

[0072] The third die cutting mode (C) includes cutting a single side or edge with a blade die. With this third die cutting mode (C), the length of the applied material (e.g., TIM, etc.) is determined by or equal to the distance the material roll moves.

[0073] In an exemplary embodiment, a system for applying a material to a component may generally include a tool operable to transfer a portion of material from a supply of material to the component. A first portion of the tool is configured to cut along a single side or edge of the portion of material. A second portion of the tool is configured to compact, press, or push the portion of material such that an uncut side or edge of the portion of material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated, or otherwise detached from the supply of material.

[0074] The first portion of the tool may include a blade configured to cut along a single side or edge of the portion of material. The second portion of the tool may include a resilient material configured to compact, press, or push the portion of material such that the uncut side or edge of the portion of material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material.

[0075] The tool may include a blade die having a first portion configured to cut along a single side or edge of the portion of material. A second portion may include an elastic material configured to relieve air entrapment and remove air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of material when the elastic material is compacted, pressed, or pushed against the portion of material and causes the uncut side or edge of the portion of material attached to the supply of material to be torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material.

[0076] The second portion may comprise a foam configured to squeeze out bubbles or air pockets from the portion of the material or force the bubbles or air pockets away from the portion of the material when the foam is compacted, pressed or pushed against the portion of the material and causes the uncut side or edge of the portion of the material attached to the supply of the material to be torn, severed, separated or detached from the supply of the material.

[0077] The second portion may have a convexly curved outer surface.

[0078] The system may include one or more alignment members configured to help align the portion of the material with the tool and the component and / or to help inhibit lifting of the component when lining material is removed from the portion of the material.

[0079] The system may include means for reducing the temperature of the portion of the material before the portion of the material is applied to the component, whereby reducing the temperature of the portion of the material increases the hardness of the portion of the material and reduces the release force required to peel a liner from the portion of the material.

[0080] The system may include one or more compressible and / or retractable pins configured to help guide the portion of the material into position relative to the tool and the component.

[0081] The tool may include a blade die having a rectangular shape including four corners. The system may also include four compressible and / or retractable pins, each pin being adjacent to one of the four corners of the blade die, the compressible and / or retractable pins being configured to help guide the portion of the material into position relative to the tool and the component.

[0082] In an exemplary embodiment, a system for applying a material to a component generally includes a tool operable to transfer a portion of material from a supply of material to a component. The system also includes a device for reducing the temperature of the portion of material before applying the portion of material to the component. Reducing the temperature of the portion of material increases the hardness of the portion of material and reduces the release force required to peel a liner from the portion of material.

[0083] The tool may include a blade configured to cut along at least one side or edge of the portion of the material. For example, the blade may be configured to cut along at least one side or edge of the portion of the material. Figure 7 The tool may include a resilient material configured to compact, press, or push the portion of the material so that an uncut side or edge of the portion of the material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material.

[0084] The elastic material can be constructed to reduce air entrapment and remove air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of the material when the elastic material is compacted, pressed or pushed against the portion of the material and causes the uncut side or edge of the portion of the material attached to the supply of material to be torn, severed, separated or detached from the supply of material.

[0085] The system may include one or more alignment members configured to help align the portion of the material with the tool and the component and / or to help inhibit lifting of the component when lining material is removed from the portion of the material.

[0086] The system may include one or more compressible and / or retractable pins configured to help guide portions of the material into position relative to the tool and component.

[0087] The tool may include a blade die having a rectangular shape with four corners. The system may include four spring-loaded compressible and / or retractable pins, each pin being adjacent to one of the four corners of the blade die. The spring-loaded compressible and / or retractable pins may be configured to help guide the portion of material into position relative to the tool and component.

[0088] In an exemplary embodiment, a system for applying a material to a component generally includes a tool operable to transfer a portion of material from a supply of the material to the component. The system also includes one or more compressible and / or retractable pins configured to help guide the portion of material into position relative to the tool and the component.

[0089] The one or more compressible and / or retractable pins may be configured to help inhibit lifting of the component when lining material is removed from the portion of the material.

[0090] The tool may include a blade configured to cut along at least one side or edge of the portion of the material. For example, the blade may be configured to cut along at least one side or edge of the portion of the material. Figure 7 The tool may include a resilient material configured to compact, press, or push the portion of the material so that an uncut side or edge of the portion of the material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material.

[0091] The elastic material may be constructed to reduce air entrapment and remove air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of the material when the elastic material is compacted, pressed or pushed so that the uncut side or edge of the portion of the material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated or separated from the supply of material.

[0092] The system may include means for reducing the temperature of the portion of the material before the portion of the material is applied to the component. Reducing the temperature of the portion of the material may increase the hardness of the portion of the material and may reduce the release force required to peel a liner from the portion of the material.

[0093] The tool may include a blade mold having a rectangular shape including four corners. The one or more compressible and / or retractable pins may include four compressible and / or retractable pins, each pin being adjacent to one of the four corners of the blade mold.

[0094] In an exemplary embodiment, a method for applying a material to a component generally includes transferring a portion of material from a supply of material to a component. The method may include one or more of the following steps: cutting along a single side or edge of the portion of material and compacting, pressing, or pushing the portion of material so that the uncut side or edge of the portion of material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated, or detached from the supply of material; and / or reducing the temperature of the portion of material before applying the portion of material to the component, thereby increasing the hardness of the portion of material and reducing the release force required to peel a liner from the portion of material by reducing the temperature of the portion of material; and / or using one or more compressible and / or retractable pins to guide the portion of material into position relative to the component.

[0095] The step of cutting along a single side or edge of the portion of material may comprise cutting along a single side or edge of the portion of material using a blade die.

[0096] The step of compacting, pressing or pushing the portion of the material may include using an elastic material to compact, press or push the portion of the material so that the uncut side or edge of the portion of the material attached to the supply of material is torn, severed, separated or detached from the supply of material.

[0097] The step of compacting, pressing or pushing the portion of the material using the elastic material may also include using the elastic material to squeeze out or force air bubbles or air pockets from the portion of the material.

[0098] like Figure 7 As shown, the method may include using a blade die to cut along a single side, two opposing sides, or all sides of the portion of the material.

[0099] Figures 8 to 21 An exemplary embodiment of a system 300 is illustrated for applying a material 320 (e.g., a thermal interface material, other material, etc.) from a supply 312 (e.g., a roll, a disk, a tape, etc.) of material 320 to a target surface 324 (e.g., a component, a substrate, a member, a board, a target surface of other material, other target surface, etc.). In this exemplary embodiment, the system 300 includes a rolling device or roller 360 (broadly, a tool or device) configured to move relative to an upper liner 316 (e.g., a carrier liner, etc.) of the supply 312 of material 320.

[0100] For example, liner 316 may include a polyethylene terephthalate (PET) liner with a release coating. Likewise, material 320 may include, for example, a gap filler thermal interface material (e.g., Tflex TM UT20000 series ultra-thin gap filler thermal interface material, etc.). In an exemplary embodiment, material 320 includes a ceramic-filled silicone elastomer that does not include embedded reinforcing glass fibers, is non-conductive, has a thermal conductivity of approximately 3 W / mK, has a V0 flammability rating, is stable from -40°C to 200°C, has a Shore hardness (3 seconds) of 55 Shore 00 at 0.41 mm to 1 mm and 85 Shore 00 at 0.2 mm to 0.38 mm, and / or has a thickness ranging from approximately 0.2 millimeters (mm) to approximately 1.0 mm. In other exemplary embodiments, other materials may also be used with system 300.

[0101] The rolling device / roller 360 can be moved downwardly into contact with the liner 316 ( Figure 10 and Figure 11 ), and then can be rolled along the lining 316 ( Figures 11 to 13 ) to position the portion of material 320 from the supply 312 along the component 324 (broadly, the target surface). Simultaneously, as the rollers / rollers 360 roll along the backing 316, the rollers / rollers 360 can also be operable to force air pockets and / or bubbles out of or squeeze (broadly, remove) the portions of material 320. See, for example, Figure 20 A thermal interface material (TIM) 320 (broadly, a material) is illustrated as being applied by the system 300 to a component 324 (e.g., a board, other target surface, etc.) such that no air pockets and / or bubbles are visible in the TIM 320. By way of example only, Figure 20The TIM 320 shown in FIG may have a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm, a width of approximately 55.5 mm, and a length of approximately 55.5 mm. These specific dimensions are examples in nature, as the system 300 may be configured differently to apply smaller or larger portions of the material 320.

[0102] like Figure 9 As shown, the system 300 includes a tool 302 configured to operatively transfer a portion of a material 320 from a liner 316 to a component 324. The tool 302 may be used in conjunction with the system 100 disclosed herein. Figure 2 ) tools (e.g., extruder 104 and die 108) and / or tool 202 ( Figures 4 to 6 ) are similar or substantially the same. In other words, system 100 ( Figure 2 ) tools (e.g., extruder 104 and die 108) and / or tool 202 ( Figures 4 to 6 ) can be used with Figures 8 to 21 The system 300 shown is used in conjunction with the system 300 shown.

[0103] Before tool 302 transfers the portion of material 320 from liner 316 to component 324, rollers 360 can be operated to force, squeeze, or remove air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of material 320. After operation of the rollers / rollers, tool 302 can then be used to sever, tear, separate, separate, and / or cut the portion of material 320 to release and transfer it from liner 316 of supply 312 of material. Figures 16 to 18 As shown, tool 302 may be configured to be operable to remove and / or peel liner 316 from portions of material 320 without removing the portions of material 320 from component 324 when tool 302 is removed and retracted upwardly away from component 324 .

[0104] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the system 300 can move the roller 360 downward into contact with the backing 316 of the supply 312 of material. The system 300 can then roll the roller 360 along the backing 316 while the roller 360 is in contact with the backing 316 (in the Figure 12 and Figure 13 From right to left in the middle). Afterwards, Figure 13 and Figure 14 As shown, the system 300 can move the roller 360 upward or retract it away from the lining 316 and out of contact with the lining 316. The system 300 can move the roller 360 upward or retract it away from the lining 316. Figure 14 and Figure 15 Move the cursor horizontally (from left to right in the image) back to its original starting position.

[0105] In this exemplary embodiment, the tool 302 and the rolling device or device 360 ​​can be coupled for common horizontal and vertical movement. For example, the system 300 can move the rolling device / roller 360 vertically or horizontally along with the mold 308 of the tool 302. The system 300 can also be configured so that the rolling device / roller 360 can also or alternatively move independently of the mold 308 of the tool 302.

[0106] like Figures 11 to 13 As shown, the roller / roller 360 can be configured to contact the liner 316 at a non-perpendicular angle (e.g., an angle of approximately 60 degrees, approximately 45 degrees, other acute angles, other non-perpendicular angles, etc.). The roller / roller 360 can be moved along the liner 316 (e.g., automatically rolled along and in contact with the liner 316 by the system 300, etc.), thereby applying pressure (e.g., downwardly, against, or along the liner, etc.) to position a portion of the material 320 from the supply 312 against the feature 324 without removing or diverting the portion of the material 320 from the liner 316. As the roller / roller 360 is rolled along the liner 316, the pressure applied to, against, or along the liner 316 by the roller / roller 360 can help alleviate air entrapment by removing air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of the material 320. For example, the rolling device / roller 360 can be configured to squeeze or force air pockets and / or bubbles away from portions of and / or from beneath the material 320 when the rolling device / roller 360 applies pressure to the lining 316 (e.g., is pressed or pushed against the lining 316) as the rolling device / roller 360 rolls along the lining 316.

[0107] In an exemplary embodiment, rollers 360 may include a resilient material to reduce the force applied by rollers 360 to material 320 in supply 312, which may help protect material 320 from thickness deformation, etc. For example, supply 312 of material may include a relatively soft thermal interface material (TIM) or other material. Rollers 360 may include or be covered with a relatively soft foam or other resilient material (e.g., rubber, elastomer, resilient plastic, elastic or sponge-like material, fiber material, insulating material, other resilient material, etc.).

[0108] Tool 302 may include a cavity filled with one or more different resilient materials, such as cotton, cork, gel, gel packs, rubber, elastomers, resilient plastics, elastic or sponge-like materials, fibrous materials, insulating materials, other resilient materials, etc. For example, mold 308 may include a blade mold having a foam-filled core or a central foam core. In other embodiments, mold 308 may not require a core filled with a resilient material, depending on the specific type of material being applied or transferred by system 300.

[0109] In an exemplary embodiment, system 300 may include a cooling unit, cooling module, or device (e.g., a recirculating chiller, a thermoelectric module, etc.) for reducing the temperature of the material 320 prior to applying the portion of material 320 to component 324. Reducing the temperature of the material may increase the hardness of the material and reduce the release force required to peel liner 316 from material 320. The increased material hardness and reduced release force may make it easier to peel or otherwise remove liner 316 from the portion of material 320 applied to component 324, which in turn may allow for a reduced failure rate associated with material cracking during liner peeling.

[0110] In an exemplary embodiment, die 308 is coupled to an extruder such that die 308 can be moved (e.g., lowered, etc.) relative to part 324 or other target surface via the extruder. The extruder can be operable to press die 308 against part 324 for a period of time (e.g., a 2 or 3 second pause, etc.), and then move (e.g., lift, retract, etc.) die 308 relatively away from part 324. During this operation, material 320 can be pressed downward, and liner 316 can be pushed through material 320 using tool 302, resulting in material 320 being severed, torn, or cut from itself without cutting liner 316. Although a very thin portion of material 320 may remain between part 324 and liner 316, this remaining portion may be so thin that it breaks away from the rest of material 320, essentially severing material 320. When die 308 is moved or retracted away from part 324, material 320 may remain on part 324.

[0111] In an exemplary embodiment, a web of material 312, including liner 316 and TIM 320 (or, more broadly, material), is a coiled material from a supply or roll 328. Rollers 332 and 340 can be used to unwind the web of material 312 from the supply of coiled material 328 and advance it to a position beneath rollers / rollers 360 and die 308. After the TIM 320 has been applied and transferred to the component 324, the remaining web of material 344 can be collected or recycled, for example, by being wound onto a scrap roll 348, allowed to fall into a waste basket, etc. Thus, this exemplary embodiment can be used to apply or transfer portions of a TIM or other material from a roll or roll to a component surface or target surface. In this example of a reel-to-reel or reel-to-reel process, rollers / rollers 360 and tool 302 are positioned between the supply reel or roll 328 and the take-up or scrap reel or roll 348. In other embodiments, more or fewer rollers can be used, and / or web of material that is not wound onto a reel can be used. In this case, the material strip can be placed in position by hand, with a gripper or by automated means.

[0112] Figure 8 and Figure 20 Component 324 is shown being manually placed onto and removed from support surface 318 of system 300. In other exemplary embodiments, for example, Figure 2 In the illustrated system 100, parts 324 are automatically positioned (e.g., placed under, aligned, moved, etc.) relative to the material supply 312, rollers / rollers 360, and tool 302. For example, the parts may be aligned with and moved relative to the tool 302 and rollers / rollers 360 via a conveyor belt or other feed / transport mechanism.

[0113] Thus, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may include a rolling device or roller configured to be moved into contact with and press against a backing of a supply of material (e.g., a carrier backing, etc.). The rolling device / roller is capable of moving along the backing (e.g., automatically rolling, etc.) while in contact with the backing, thereby applying pressure to the backing. The pressure applied by the rolling device / roller to the backing positions, presses, or pushes a portion of the material from the supply against a component (broadly, a target surface), while also forcing, squeezing, or removing air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of the material and / or from beneath it.

[0114] Prior to removing the liner from the portion of the material along the component, a rolling device / roller is relatively moved along (e.g., automatically moved downwardly into contact with, etc.) a liner (e.g., a carrier liner, etc., which is along the upper surface of the material of the supply). The rolling device / roller can be configured to contact the liner at a non-perpendicular angle (e.g., an angle of approximately 60 degrees, approximately 45 degrees, other acute angles, other non-perpendicular angles, etc.). The rolling device / roller moves along the liner (e.g., automatically rolls along and in contact with the liner, etc.), thereby applying pressure (e.g., downwardly, against, or along the liner, etc.) to position the portion of the material from the supply against the component without removing or transferring the portion of the material from the liner. The pressure applied to, against, or along the liner by the rolling device / roller as the rolling device / roller is rolled along the liner can alleviate air entrapment by removing air pockets and / or bubbles from the material. For example, the rolling device / roller can be configured to squeeze or force air pockets and / or bubbles away from portions of the material and / or from beneath it when the rolling device / roller applies pressure to the liner (e.g., is pressed or pushed against the liner) as the rolling device / roller rolls along the liner.

[0115] In an exemplary embodiment, the rollers include a resilient material (e.g., a roller covered with a relatively soft foam or other soft, resilient material, etc.) to reduce the force applied to the material by the rollers, which can help protect the material from thickness deformation, etc. For example, the material to be applied by the system can include a relatively soft thermal interface material (TIM) or other material. The rollers can include a relatively soft foam or other resilient material (e.g., a rubber, an elastomer, a resilient plastic, an elastic or sponge-like material, a fibrous material, an insulating material, other resilient material, etc.).

[0116] In an exemplary embodiment, the rolling device / roller is a first tool, and the system further includes a second tool operable to transfer a portion of material from a supply to a component. The rolling device / roller is operable to force, squeeze, or remove air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of material before the second tool transfers the portion of material from the supply to the component. The second tool can be configured to be operable to sever, tear, separate, detach, and / or cut the portion of material to release and transfer it from the liner of the supply of material. The second tool can be configured to be operable to remove and / or peel a liner (e.g., a carrier liner) from the portion of material without removing the portion of material from the component when the second tool is removed.

[0117] Thus, the rolling device / roller can be configured to move into contact with and along the liner to push or press the portion of the material along the liner (e.g., beneath it, etc.) against the component, thereby forcing air pockets and / or bubbles away from or squeezing air pockets and / or bubbles out of the portion of the material as the rolling device / roller rolls along the liner while in contact with the liner.

[0118] In an exemplary embodiment, the rolling device / roller can be configured to move into contact with and roll along the lining at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the lining. The rolling device / roller can include an elastic material (e.g., foam, etc.) that rolls into contact with the lining to apply pressure to the lining to force, squeeze, or remove air pockets and / or bubbles from portions of the material as the elastic material of the rolling device / roller rolls along the lining.

[0119] The rolling device / roller can be configured to be automatically moved by the system relative to the material supply body to automatically position the portion of material from the supply body along the component, so as to automatically force air pockets and / or bubbles away from the portion of the material, squeeze out or remove the air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of the material when the rolling device / roller is automatically moved relative to the portion of the material.

[0120] In an exemplary embodiment, the system may include a first tool having a convexly curved outer surface, the convexly curved outer surface being configured to force air pockets and / or bubbles away from, squeeze out, or remove air pockets and / or bubbles from the portion of the material when the convexly curved outer surface is capable of slidingly moving or translating (e.g., rolling, etc.) along the portion of the material.

[0121] Disclosed are exemplary embodiments of systems for applying (e.g., transferring from a supply, etc.) thermal interface materials and other materials to components. For example, the thermal interface materials or other materials can be applied to a wide range of substrates, components, and elements, such as lids or integrated heat spreaders for integrated circuit (IC) packages, board-level shields, heat sources (e.g., central processing units (CPUs), etc.), heat removal / dissipation structures or components (e.g., heat spreaders, heat sinks, heat pipes, vapor chambers, device housings or casings, etc.), and the like.

[0122] In an exemplary embodiment, a system can include a supply of material (e.g., a roll, disk, or tape of thermal interface material or other material, etc.) and a tool (e.g., a mold, etc.). The tool can be operated to push (e.g., compact, etc.) and remove (e.g., cut, tear, shear, sever, separate, etc.) portions of the material from the supply between the tool and the component.

[0123] The material may comprise a non-metal.The portion of the material may be coupled to the component without any diffusion bonding or weld joint between the portion and the component.

[0124] The liner can be along the surface of the supply of material. The tool can be operated to remove a portion of the material from the supply with the aid of the liner. For example, the tool can be operated to push the liner through the portion of the material to sever the portion of the material from the supply without having to pierce the liner.

[0125] The tool may include a die operable to compact and cut a portion of material from a supply between the tool and a corresponding component. For example, the tool may include a rounding die having a foam-filled core. The foam-filled core may be used to compact the portion of material down onto the component. The rounding die may be used to cut the portion of material from the supply using a backing material.

[0126] The system can be configured so that a portion of the material remains on the part and so that the liner is removed from the portion of the material when the tool is removed and moved (e.g., lifted upward, etc.) away from the portion of the material. The system can be configured so that the material remains on the part when the tool is removed and the supply of the next portion of the material and the next part are moved into position for the material to be applied.

[0127] The system may include a sensor system that advances the material supply to be subsequently applied to subsequent components. Alternatively, the system may be configured with a set distance advancement process for the material supply. The system may include a fixture in which the component is placed and oriented relative to the mold to place the material on the component. The component may include a lid or integrated heat spreader for an integrated circuit (IC) package, a board-level shield, a heat source (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a heat removal / heat dissipation structure or component (e.g., a heat spreader, a heat sink, a heat pipe, a steam chamber, a device housing or casing, etc.), etc.

[0128] The system can be configured with heating and / or cooling features (e.g., recirculating heaters / coolers, thermoelectric modules, etc.) for applying heat and / or cooling during the application of the material to the component. These heating and / or cooling features can assist in the cutting, adhesion, release of the TIM or other material from the liner, temperature control of the component and liner, etc. For example, heat can assist in the cutting of the material and / or the adhesion of the material to the component. Alternatively, for example, heat can be used to cut or otherwise remove (e.g., without a knife or blade, etc.) a portion of the material from the supply.

[0129] The system can include a roll of material supply. Rollers can be positioned to unwind the material supply from the roll and advance it into alignment with the tool. A waste collection system (e.g., a scrap roll, a trash can, etc.) can be used to collect unused portions of the thermal interface material supply remaining after the material is applied to the component. The material can be a thermal phase change material without any tabs. As another example, the system or method can be configured to apply (e.g., transfer from a roll, etc.) a thermal interface material or other material to a substrate (such as a film) to produce a tabbed article, etc.

[0130] Also disclosed are exemplary embodiments of methods for applying materials to components. For example, thermal interface materials or other materials can be applied to a wide range of substrates and components, such as lids or integrated heat spreaders for integrated circuit (IC) packages, board-level shields, heat sources (e.g., central processing units (CPUs), etc.), heat removal / dissipation structures or components (e.g., heat spreaders, heat sinks, heat pipes, vapor chambers, device housings or casings, etc.), and the like.

[0131] In an exemplary embodiment, the method generally includes compacting and removing (e.g., cutting, tearing, shearing, severing, separating, etc.) a portion of material from a supply of material that is aligned with the components such that the portion of material is applied to the components without diffusion bonding the portion of the thermal interface material to a corresponding one of the components.

[0132] The compacting and removing can include pressing a tool (e.g., a die, etc.) with the liner disposed along a surface of the supply of material such that a portion of the material remains on the component and such that the liner is removed from the portion of the material as the tool is removed and moved relatively away from the portion of the material. The method can include using the tool to push the liner through the portion of the material to sever the portion of the material from the supply without puncturing the liner.

[0133] Compacting and removing may include using the tool to compact and remove a portion of the material from the supply between the tool and the component.

[0134] The tool may include a die, such as a rounding die having a foam-filled core, etc. In this case, the method may include the steps of using the foam-filled core to compact the portion of material onto the component and using the rounding die to cut the portion of material from a supply of material.

[0135] The method may include advancing a corresponding one of the components having the portion of material thereon away from a tool; and advancing a supply of material and a next component into a position aligned with the tool for applying the material to the next component. Advancing the supply of material may include using a roller to unwind the supply of material from a supply reel and advance it into a position aligned with the tool. The method may include collecting an unused portion of the supply of material remaining after the material is applied to the component.

[0136] The material may comprise a non-metal.The method may comprise the step of coupling a portion of the material to the component without any diffusion bonding or weld joint between the portion and the component.

[0137] The method may include the steps of advancing a supply of material while using a sensor system or a set distance to advance the process and then applying it to the component. The method may also include the steps of placing the component in a fixture so that the component is oriented to place the material on the component. The component may include a lid or integrated heat spreader of an integrated circuit (IC) package, a board-level shield, a heat source (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), a heat removal / heat dissipation structure or component (e.g., a heat spreader, a heat sink, a heat pipe, a steam chamber, a device housing or casing, etc.), etc. The method may also include heating and / or cooling during compaction and / or removal.

[0138] Another exemplary embodiment includes an integrated heat spreader and a thermal interface material or other material applied (e.g., compacted and cut, transferred from a supply, etc.) to the integrated heat spreader by the systems or methods disclosed herein. An electronic device may include the claimed integrated heat spreader and a central processing unit or processor die. The integrated heat spreader may be operable to spread heat generated by the central processing unit or processor die.

[0139] Another exemplary embodiment includes a board-level shield (BLS) and a thermal interface material or other material applied (e.g., compacted and cut, transferred from a supply, etc.) to the board-level shield (BLS) by the systems or methods disclosed herein. The BLS can be adapted for use in providing electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding for at least one component on a substrate. The BLS can include one or more sidewalls defining an opening and configured to be mounted to the substrate generally around the at least one component on the substrate; and a cover configured to cover the opening defined by the one or more sidewalls. The thermal interface material can be applied to the cover. When the one or more sidewalls are mounted to the substrate generally around the at least one component and the cover covers the opening defined by the one or more sidewalls, the thermal interface material and cover can cooperate to define a thermally conductive heat path from the at least one component, and the BLS can be operable to provide EMI shielding for the at least one component. The cover can be integral with the one or more sidewalls or removably attached to one or more sidewalls.

[0140] Another exemplary embodiment includes an assembly comprising a heat removal / heat dissipation structure, a printed circuit board having a heat source, and a board-level shield having a thermal interface material or other material applied thereto (e.g., compacted and cut, transferred from a supply, etc.) by the systems or methods disclosed herein. One or more side walls are mounted to the printed circuit board with an opening above at least one component. A cover is positioned on the one or more side walls such that the opening defined by the one or more side walls is covered by the cover. The thermal interface material and the cover cooperate to define a thermally conductive heat path from the heat source to the heat removal / heat dissipation structure. The board-level shield is operable to provide EMI shielding for the heat source. The heat removal / heat dissipation structure can be a heat spreader. The heat source can be an integrated circuit on the printed circuit board.

[0141] A wide range of thermal interface materials and other materials (e.g., non-thermally enhanced materials, thermal insulators, dielectric insulation, electrical insulators, conductive elastomers, EMI absorbers, EMI shielding materials, polymeric materials, adhesive materials, other interface materials, combinations thereof, individual layers thereof, stacked layers thereof, etc.) can be used in applications such as Figure 2 The material shown is 120, Figure 6 The material shown is 220, Figure 20 In exemplary embodiments of material 320, etc., as shown, exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may advantageously allow for the fabrication of TIMs that will have more relaxed properties than current TIMs. Ease of handling and coating is important for TIMs, but the softness, shear thinning, and modulus that contribute to performance can result in materials that are more difficult to coat. The exemplary coating processes disclosed herein may allow for easier coating of materials that are typically difficult to coat but have superior properties.

[0142] Example thermal interface materials that may be used with exemplary embodiments include thermal gap fillers, thermal phase change materials, thermally conductive EMI absorbers or hybrid thermal / EMI absorbers, thermal putties, thermal pads, etc. For example, exemplary embodiments may include a thermally conductive EMI absorber or hybrid thermal / EMI absorber that is compacted, cut, and applied to a portion of an EMI shield, such as a cover or lid, or a board-level shield.

[0143] Example embodiments may include one or more thermal interface materials manufactured by Laird (such as Tputty TM 502 series thermal gap filler, Tflex TM Series of gap fillers (for example, Tflex TM 300 series thermal gap filler, Tflex TM 600 series thermal gap filler, Tflex TM 700 series thermal filler, etc.), Tpcm TM Series of thermal phase change materials (e.g., TpcmTM 580 series thermal phase change materials, Tpcm TM 780 series thermal phase change materials, Tpcm TM 900 series thermal phase change materials, etc.), Tpli TM Series of gap fillers (for example, Tpli TM 200 series gap fillers, etc.), IceKap TM Series Thermal Interface Materials and / or CoolZorb TM Series of thermally conductive microwave absorbent materials (e.g., CoolZorb TM 400 series thermally conductive microwave absorbent materials, CoolZorb TM 500 series thermally conductive microwave absorbent materials, CoolZorb TM 600 series thermally conductive microwave absorbent materials, etc.). In some exemplary embodiments, the thermal interface material may include a compatible gap filler having high thermal conductivity. For example, the thermal interface material may include Laird's thermal interface material (such as Tflex TM 200、Tflex TM HR200, Tflex TM 300, Tflex TM 300TG, Tflex TM HR400, Tflex TM 500, Tflex TM 600, Tflex TM HR600, Tflex TM SF600, Tflex TM 700, Tflex TM one or more of SF800 thermal gap fillers).

[0144] The thermal interface materials disclosed herein may include elastomer and / or ceramic particles, metal particles, ferromagnetic EMI / RFI absorbing particles, metal or fiberglass mesh in a base of rubber, gel, or wax, etc. The thermal interface materials may include compliant or conformable silicone pads, non-silicone-based materials (e.g., non-silicone-based gap fillers, thermoplastic and / or thermosetting polymeric elastomeric materials, etc.), silk-screened materials, polyurethane foams or gels, thermally conductive additives, etc. The thermal interface materials may be configured to have sufficient conformability, compatibility, and / or softness (e.g., without having to undergo phase changes or reflow, etc.) to adjust tolerances or gaps by flexing at low temperatures (e.g., room temperature of 20° C. to 25° C., etc.), and / or to allow the thermal interface material to conform closely (e.g., in a tighter fit and seal, etc.) to a mating surface (including a non-flat, curved, or uneven mating surface) when placed in contact with (e.g., compressed against, etc.) the mating surface.

[0145] The thermal interface materials disclosed herein may include a soft thermal interface material formed from an elastomer and at least one thermally conductive metal, boron nitride, and / or ceramic filler, such that the soft thermal interface material is conformal even when not undergoing a phase change or reflow. In some exemplary embodiments, the first and / or second thermal interface materials may include a ceramic-filled silicone elastomer, a boron nitride-filled silicone elastomer, or a thermal phase change material including a typically non-reinforced film.

[0146] Exemplary embodiments may include one or more thermal interface materials having a high thermal conductivity (e.g., 1 W / mK (watts per meter per Kelvin), 1.1 W / mK, 1.2 W / mK, 2.8 W / mK, 3 W / mK, 3.1 W / mK, 3.8 W / mK, 4 W / mK, 4.7 W / mK, 5 W / mK, 5.4 W / mK, 6 W / mK) depending on the specific materials used to make the thermal interface material and the loading percentage of the thermally conductive filler (if any). These thermal conductivities are examples only, as other embodiments may include thermal interface materials having thermal conductivities greater than 6 W / mK, less than 1 W / mK, or other values ​​and ranges between 1 and 6 W / mK. Thus, aspects of the present disclosure should not be limited to use with any particular thermal interface material, as exemplary embodiments may include a wide range of thermal interface materials and other materials (e.g., non-thermally enhanced materials, thermal insulators, dielectric insulation, electrical insulators, conductive elastomers, EMI absorbers, EMI shielding materials, polymeric materials, adhesive materials, other interface materials, combinations thereof, individual layers thereof, stacked layers thereof, etc.).

[0147] The thermal interface materials and / or other materials applied by the systems and methods disclosed herein may include one or more suitable fillers and / or binders added to achieve various desired results. Example fillers include pigments, plasticizers, processing aids, flame retardants, extenders, and the like. For example, adhesion promoters may be added to increase the viscosity of the thermal interface material or other materials. By way of further example, the thermal interface materials and / or other materials applied by the systems and methods disclosed herein may include electromagnetic interference (EMI) or microwave absorbers, conductive fillers, and / or magnetic particles to enable or function as EMI and / or RFI shielding materials. Examples of fillers include carbonyl iron, iron silicide, iron particles, iron-chromium compounds, metallic silver, carbonyl iron powder, SENDUST (an alloy containing 85% iron, 9.5% silicon, and 5.5% aluminum), Permalloy (an alloy containing approximately 20% iron and 80% nickel), ferrites, magnetic alloys, magnetic powders, magnetic flakes, magnetic particles, nickel-based alloys and powders, chromium alloys, and any combination thereof. The thermal interface materials and / or other materials applied by the systems and methods disclosed herein may include one or more EMI absorbers formed from one or more of the above materials, wherein the EMI absorbers include particles, spheres, microspheres, ellipsoids, irregular spheres, strands, flakes, powders, and / or combinations of any or all of these shapes.

[0148] A wide range of materials can be used for the cover (and more broadly, the element) in the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein, including conductive materials such as metals (e.g., aluminum, copper, etc.), alloys, natural graphite, synthetic graphite, or other suitable materials. For example, a non-exhaustive list of exemplary materials from which the EMI shield or portions thereof can be made includes cold-rolled steel, nickel-silver alloys, copper-nickel alloys, stainless steel, tin-plated cold-rolled steel, tin-plated copper alloys, carbon steel, brass, copper, aluminum, copper-beryllium alloys, phosphor bronze, steel, alloys thereof, plastic materials coated with a conductive material, or any other suitable conductive and / or magnetic material. Because different materials can be used depending on, for example, the specific application, the materials disclosed herein are provided herein for illustrative purposes only.

[0149] Additionally, the thermal interface materials and other materials disclosed herein can be applied to a wide range of components or parts (including lids or integrated heat spreaders of integrated circuit (IC) packages, board-level shields (e.g., removable lids or covers of board-level shields (BLS)), heat sources (e.g., central processing units (CPUs), etc.), heat removal / heat dissipation structures or parts (e.g., heat spreaders, heat sinks, heat pipes, vapor chambers, device housings or casings, etc.), etc.). Therefore, aspects of the present disclosure should not be limited to use with any single type of component or part or to application to any specific location or portion of a component or part.

[0150] In an exemplary embodiment, portions of thermal interface material or other material can be removed from a supplier and applied to a cover or hood of a board-level shield (BLS). The BLS cover or hood can be integral with the sidewalls of the BLS or removably attached to the sidewalls. For example, the BLS can include sidewalls integrally formed with the upper surface, cover, lid, or top of the BLS. For example, the sidewalls and upper surface can be formed by stamping the same sheet of conductive material and then folding the stamped material so that the sidewalls are substantially perpendicular to the upper surface. Alternatively, the sidewalls can be fabricated separately and not integrally formed with the upper surface of the BLS. In some exemplary embodiments, the BLS can include a two-piece shield from which the upper surface, cover, lid, or top can be removed and attached to the sidewalls. In some exemplary embodiments, the BLS can include one or more inner walls, dividers, or spacers attached to and / or integrally formed with the BLS. In such exemplary embodiments, the BLS cover, sidewalls, and inner walls can cooperatively define multiple independent EMI shielding compartments.

[0151] In some exemplary embodiments, multiple portions of material can be removed (e.g., pushed, pressed, compacted, removed, severed, torn, cut, blown, etc.) from one or more supplies (e.g., one or more rolls, reels, or tapes of one or more of the same, different, and / or multi-layered materials) and applied to either or both sides of a component or substrate. For example, multiple portions of the same thermal interface material (or another material) can be removed from a single supply of thermal interface material and applied along the underside or interior of a BLS cover or hood (or other component). The multiple different portions can be removed and applied separately (e.g., sequentially, successively, continuously, etc.) or simultaneously from a single supply. Alternatively, for example, multiple different portions of the same thermal interface material (or another material) can be removed and applied separately or simultaneously from different supplies. As another example, multiple different portions of different materials can be removed and applied separately or simultaneously from different supplies of different materials. The multiple different portions can be adjacent (e.g., in close proximity, in contact, etc.) or spaced apart along the BLS cover or hood. Additionally or alternatively, multiple different sections may be stacked on top of each other along the underside or inside of the BLS or cover.

[0152] The portion of TIM or other material applied along the inside of the BLS cover or housing can have the same thickness or different thicknesses to accommodate devices, components, etc. that will be located below the BLS at varying heights. The portion of TIM or other material applied along the outside of the BLS cover or housing can also have the same thickness or different thicknesses to accommodate heat spreaders, heat sinks, other heat removal / dissipation structures, etc. that have varying thicknesses.

[0153] In exemplary embodiments, the material supply may include a single roll, reel, tape, or other supply of a single layer of material or a multilayer material. In other exemplary embodiments, the material supply may include multiple rolls, reels, tapes, or other supplies of a single layer of material, where the material may be the same or different for each of the multiple supplies. In yet other exemplary embodiments, the material supply may include multiple rolls, reels, tapes, or other supplies of a multilayer material, where the multilayer material may be the same or different for each of the multiple supplies. In still other exemplary embodiments, the material supply may include at least one roll, reel, tape, or other supply of a single layer of material or at least one roll, reel, tape, or other supply of a multilayer material. In some exemplary embodiments, the material supply may include a supply (e.g., a carrier tape, etc.) having a bag or cavity within which a portion of the material (e.g., a portion of a TIM or other material, etc.) to be applied (e.g., blown from the bag, mechanically removed using a pick-and-place device, etc.) is positioned. In exemplary embodiments, portions from one or more material supplies may be removed and applied separately (e.g., sequentially, successively, continuously, etc.) or simultaneously.

[0154] In an exemplary embodiment, a system can be used to remove portions of material (e.g., TIM, etc.) from a supply (e.g., a reel, a coil, a tape, etc.) and apply or transfer the material portions to a component. For example, the system can cut the material portions from the supply, which can also transfer the cut material portions to the component. Alternatively, for example, the system can shape and / or size the material portions, which can also transfer the shaped and / or size material portions to the component. As another example, the system can deform the material portions, which can also transfer the deformed material portions to the component. As yet another example, the system can emboss and tear the material portions, which can also transfer the material portions to the component.

[0155] The example embodiments disclosed herein can be used with a wide range of heat sources, electronic devices, and / or heat removal / dissipation structures or components (e.g., heat spreaders, heat sinks, heat pipes, device housings or casings, etc.). For example, a heat source can include one or more heat generating components or devices (e.g., a CPU, a mold within an underfill, a semiconductor device, a flip chip, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a digital signal processor (DSP), a multi-processor system, an integrated circuit, a multi-core processor, etc.). In general, a heat source can include any component or device that has a higher temperature than a thermal interface material or otherwise provides or transfers heat to a thermal interface material, regardless of whether the heat is generated by the heat source or is transferred solely by means of or via the heat source. Accordingly, aspects of the present disclosure should not be limited to any particular use with any single type of heat source, electronic device, heat removal / dissipation structure, etc.

[0156] Exemplary embodiments may provide one or more (but not necessarily any or all) of the following features or advantages, such as elimination of tabs and reduced cost compared to some conventional phase change material (PCM) coating processes that have the added high cost of tabbed components. Exemplary embodiments may help address issues such as customer issues with properly coating tabbed components, issues with liner release, limitations on component configuration, shape, and size, difficulty keeping the material clean during additional steps after forming in a clean room, and / or difficulty shipping tabbed components without distortion. Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may allow for the provision of standard materials (e.g., standard widths, thicknesses, and / or lengths, etc.) that can then be used with different molds that can be varied as needed for a variety of shapes and sizes. Exemplary embodiments disclosed herein may allow for simpler forming designs from pots to finished rolls, may provide for compact processing and smaller clean room requirements (Type 2), may require limited work-in-process (WIP) expenditures, may allow for simpler / smaller part number lists, PCM thicknesses, and widths, may allow for a variety of mold shapes and components that are not cost-effectively feasible in a tabbed format (e.g., Figure 3 etc.), which allows the smallest size available to be unproblematic (e.g., Figure 3 etc.), can allow liner release variation issues to be unimportant, and / or can allow "clean" material that excludes screening to remain between liners until applied to the cap. In some exemplary embodiments, the TIM can be applied quickly and without distortion and trapped air, and the component can be clean without pumping out.

[0157] Example embodiments are provided so that the present disclosure will be thorough and will fully convey the scope to those skilled in the art. A large number of specific details, such as examples of specific components, devices and methods, are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that specific details do not need to be adopted, and the example embodiments can be specifically implemented in many different forms, and nothing should be interpreted as limiting the scope of the present disclosure. In some example embodiments, well-known processes, well-known device structures and well-known technologies are not described in detail. In addition, the advantages and improvements that can be achieved with one or more exemplary embodiments of the present invention are provided only for illustrative purposes and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure (because the exemplary embodiments disclosed herein can provide all or none of the above-mentioned advantages and improvements and still fall within the scope of the present disclosure).

[0158] The concrete dimension disclosed herein, concrete material and / or concrete shape are examples in nature, and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure. The disclosure of the specific value and specific value range for a given parameter here is not the exhaustion of other values ​​and value range that can be used for one or more in the disclosed examples here. Moreover, it is envisioned that any two specific values ​​for the concrete parameter narrated here can limit the endpoint (that is, the disclosure of the first value and the second value for a given parameter can be interpreted as disclosing and can also adopt any value between the first and second values ​​for a given parameter) that can be suitable for the value range of a given parameter. For example, if parameter X is exemplified as having value A and also exemplified as having value Z here, it is envisioned that parameter X can have the value range from about A to about Z. Similarly, it is envisioned that the disclosure of two or more value ranges (no matter this scope is nested, overlapping or different) for a parameter comprises all possible combinations of the value range that can be clamped by the endpoints of the disclosed range. For example, if parameter X is illustrated herein as having values ​​within the range 1-10 or 2-9 or 3-8, it is also contemplated that parameter X may have other value ranges including 1-9, 1-8, 1-3, 1-2, 2-10, 2-8, 2-3, 3-10, and 3-9.

[0159] The terms used herein are only for the purpose of describing specific example embodiments and are not intended to be limiting. For example, when similar permissive phrases such as "may include," "may include," etc. are used in this article, at least one embodiment includes or includes the feature. As used herein, the singular form "one" may be intended to also include the plural form, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. The terms "including" and "having" are inclusive and therefore specify the presence of the described features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or parts, but do not exclude the presence or increase of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, parts and / or their groups. The method steps, processes and operations described herein are not to be interpreted as necessarily requiring their execution in the specific order discussed or illustrated, unless specifically identified as an execution order. It is also to be understood that additional or alternative steps may be adopted.

[0160] When an element or layer is referred to as being "on," "engaged to," "connected to," or "coupled to" another element or layer, the element or layer may be directly on, directly engaged, connected, or coupled to the other element or layer, or intervening elements or layers may be present. Conversely, when an element is referred to as being "directly on," "directly engaged to," "directly connected to," or "directly coupled to" another element or layer, no intervening elements or layers may be present. Other words used to describe the relationship between elements should be interpreted in the same manner (e.g., "between" versus "directly between," "adjacent" versus "directly adjacent," etc.). As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0161] The term "approximately" when applied to a value indicates that the calculation or measurement allows for slight imprecision in the value (close to exact in value; approximately or reasonably close to the value; almost). If, for some reason, the imprecision provided by "approximately" is not otherwise understood in the art in this ordinary sense, then "approximately" as used herein indicates at least the variation that may be caused by ordinary measurement methods or the use of such parameters. For example, the terms "substantially," "approximately," and "roughly" can be used here to mean within manufacturing tolerances. Or, for example, as used herein when modifying the invention or the amount of the ingredients or reactants employed, the term "approximately" refers to variations in the quantity that may occur due to the typical measurement and processing procedures used (e.g., when making concentrates or solutions in the real world, due to accidental errors in these procedures; due to differences in the manufacture, source, or purity of the ingredients used to make a composition or perform a process). The term "approximately" also includes amounts that differ due to different equilibrium conditions for a composition produced from a particular initial mixture. Whether or not modified by the term "approximately," the claims include equivalents to the quantities.

[0162] Although the terms first, second, third etc. can be used to describe various elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts here, these elements, components, regions, layers and / or parts should not be limited by these terms.These terms can only be used to distinguish an element, component, region, layer or part from another region, layer or part.Terms such as "first", "second" and other numerical terms do not imply order when used here, unless the context clearly indicates.Thus, the first element, component, region, layer or part discussed below can be referred to as the second element, component, region, layer or part when not departing from the teaching of example embodiments.

[0163] Spatially relative terms (such as "in," "out," "under," "below," "down," "above," "upper," etc.) may be used herein for ease of description to describe the relationship of one element or feature to another element or feature as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. Spatially relative terms may be intended to encompass different orientations of the device in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted in the accompanying drawings. For example, if the device in the accompanying drawings is flipped, an element described as being "under" or "beneath" other elements or features will be oriented as being "above" the other elements or features. Thus, the example term "below" may encompass both the above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90 degrees or in other orientations), so the spatially relative descriptors used herein are interpreted accordingly.

[0164] The foregoing description of the embodiments has been provided for the purpose of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present disclosure. The independent elements, intended or described uses or features of a particular embodiment are generally not limited to that particular embodiment, but are interchangeable where appropriate and can be used in selected embodiments (even if the embodiment is not specifically shown or described). The same content can also be changed in many ways. Such variations are not considered to be deviations from the present disclosure, and all such modifications are intended to be included within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A system for applying a material to a component, the system comprising: a first tool configured to be movable relative to a supply of material to position a portion of the material from the supply along a component such that air bubbles are forced away from the portion of the material as the first tool is relatively moved along the portion of the material; as well as A second tool is operable to transfer the portion of the material from the supply to the component after the first tool has been relatively moved along the portion of the material.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein: the first tool being configured to be relatively movable along a liner of the supply of material to position the portion of the material from the supply along the component without transferring or removing the portion of the material from the liner; and The second tool is operable to transfer the portion of the material from the lining to the component after the first tool has been relatively moved along the lining.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein: The first tool is configured to move into contact with and along the liner to urge the portion of the material from the supply against the component, thereby forcing air bubbles out of the portion of the material as the first tool moves along the liner while in contact with the liner, before the second tool transfers the portion of the material from the liner to the component.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein: the first tool comprises a roller configured to move into contact with and roll along the liner to urge the portion of the material from the supply against the component, thereby forcing air bubbles out of the portion of the material as the roller rolls along the liner, and The second tool includes a die coupled to an extruder such that the die can be moved relative to the component by means of the extruder to transfer the portion of the material from the supply to the component following operation of the rollers to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein: The roller is configured to move into contact with and roll along the lining at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the lining; and The roller includes a resilient material that rollingly contacts the backing material to apply pressure to the backing material to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material as the resilient material of the roller rolls along the backing material.

6. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first tool includes a convexly curved outer surface configured to force air bubbles out of the portion of the material when the convexly curved outer surface is relatively slidably movable along the portion of the material.

7. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The first tool is configured to be automatically moved by the system relative to the supply of material to automatically position the portion of the material from the supply along the component, thereby automatically forcing bubbles away from the portion of the material as the first tool is automatically moved relative to the portion of the material.

8. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: the first tool comprising rollers configured to relatively roll along the portion of the material to position the portion of the material from the supply along the component such that air bubbles are forced away from the portion of the material as the rollers relatively roll along the portion of the material; and The second tool includes a die coupled to an extruder such that the die can be moved relative to the component by means of the extruder to transfer the portion of the material from the supply to the component following operation of the rollers to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material.

9. The system according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: the first tool being operable to force air bubbles out of the portion of the material before the second tool transfers the portion of the material from the liner to the component; the second tool being configured to operatively separate the portion of the material for release and transfer from the liner of the supply of the material subsequent to operation of the first tool to force the air bubbles away from the portion of the material; as well as The second tool is configured to be operable to remove the liner from the portion of the material without removing the portion of the material from the component when the second tool is removed.

10. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: The supplier of the material comprises one or more suppliers of one or more of a thermal interface material, a conductive elastomer, an electromagnetic interference absorber, an electromagnetic interference shielding material, a dielectric material, and a thermally conductive material; and The components include one or more of a cover, a heat source, a heat removal structure, and a substrate of a board level shield.

11. The system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein: Such components include lids or integrated heat spreaders for integrated circuit packages.

12. A system for applying a material to a component, the system comprising a tool configured to move into contact with and along a liner of a supply of material to urge and position a portion of the material from the supply against the component without transferring the portion of the material from the liner, thereby forcing air bubbles away from the portion of the material as the tool moves along the liner before the portion of the material is transferred from the liner to the component.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The tool includes a roller configured to move into contact with and roll along the liner to push and position the portion of the material from the supply against the component, thereby forcing air bubbles out of the portion of the material as the roller rolls along the liner.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein: The roller is configured to move into contact with and roll along the lining at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the lining; and The roller includes a resilient material that rollingly contacts the backing material to apply pressure to the backing material to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material as the resilient material of the roller rolls along the backing material.

15. The system according to claim 12, wherein: The tool includes a convexly curved outer surface configured to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material when slidably movable along the liner while the convexly curved outer surface is in contact with the liner.

16. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: The tool is configured to be automatically moved by the system into contact with and along the liner of the supply of material to automatically urge and position the portion of the material against the component without transferring or removing the portion of the material from the supply from the liner, thereby automatically forcing air bubbles away from the portion of the material as the tool is automatically moved along the liner.

17. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: The tool is a first tool; The system further includes a second tool operable to transfer the portion of the material from the liner to the component; the first tool being operable to force air bubbles out of the portion of the material before the second tool transfers the portion of the material from the liner to the component; the second tool being configured to operatively separate the portion of the material for release and transfer from the liner of the supply of the material following operation of the first tool to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material; as well as The second tool is configured to be operable to remove the liner from the portion of the material without removing the portion of the material from the component when the second tool is removed.

18. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: The material suppliers include one or more suppliers supplying one or more of thermal interface materials, conductive elastomers, electromagnetic interference absorbers, electromagnetic interference shielding materials, dielectric materials, and thermally conductive materials; and The components include one or more of a cover, a heat source, a heat removal structure, and a substrate of a board level shield.

19. The system according to any one of claims 12 to 15, wherein: Such components include lids or integrated heat spreaders for integrated circuit packages.

20. A system for applying material to a component, the system comprising a rolling device configured to move into contact with and roll along a supply of material to push and position a portion of the material from the supply against the component, thereby forcing air bubbles to escape from the portion of the material as the rolling device rolls along the supply of material before the portion of the material is transferred from the supply to the component.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein: The rolling device is configured to move into contact with and roll along a liner of the supply of material to urge and position the portion of the material against the component without displacing or removing the portion of the material from the supply from the liner.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein: The rolling device is configured to move at a non-perpendicular angle relative to the liner into contact with and roll along the supply of material; and The rolling means includes a resilient material that rollingly contacts the supply of material to apply pressure to the gusset to force air bubbles away from the portion of the material as the resilient material rolls along the supply of material.

23. The system of claim 20, wherein: The rolling device is configured to be automatically moved by the system into contact with and along the supply of material to automatically push and position the portion of the material from the supply against the component, thereby automatically forcing air bubbles away from the portion of the material as the rolling device is automatically moved along the lining.

24. The system of any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: The system includes a tool operable to transfer the portion of the material from the supply to the component; as well as The rolling device is operable to force air bubbles out of the portion of the material before the tool transfers the portion of the material from the supply to the component.

25. The system of any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: The material suppliers include one or more suppliers supplying one or more of thermal interface materials, conductive elastomers, electromagnetic interference absorbers, electromagnetic interference shielding materials, dielectric materials, and thermally conductive materials; and The components include one or more of a cover, a heat source, a heat removal structure, and a substrate of a board level shield.

26. The system of any one of claims 20 to 23, wherein: Such components include lids or integrated heat spreaders for integrated circuit packages.

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