Water-cooled radiator with integrated structure and preparation method of water-cooled radiator
By using an integrated water-cooled radiator that combines a VC heat sink and a microchannel water-cooled plate, and by optimizing the manufacturing process, the heat dissipation problem of high-power electronic components has been solved, achieving efficient and reliable heat dissipation.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-24
- Publication Date
- 2026-03-13
AI Technical Summary
Existing heat dissipation methods such as finned air cooling, heat pipe radiators, and water cooling plates are insufficient to meet the high-efficiency heat dissipation requirements of high-power electronic components. Especially in high-density electronic systems, traditional integrated heat sinks are difficult to manufacture and cannot guarantee interface thermal resistance, heat flux density, temperature uniformity, and long-term reliability.
The integrated water-cooled radiator combines a VC heat sink with a microchannel water-cooling plate through optimized manufacturing processes. Using copper or aluminum alloy materials and low-temperature welding technology, the VC module is prepared first and then the microchannel water-cooling module is manufactured to ensure that the product performance meets user requirements.
It achieves efficient heat dissipation, improves product reliability and temperature uniformity, meets the heat dissipation requirements of high power consumption and high heat flux density, and ensures long-term stability.
Smart Images
Figure CN121665512A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention belongs to the field of heat dissipation technology for electronic components, specifically relating to an integrated water-cooled heat sink and its manufacturing method, which is particularly applicable to heat dissipation applications of high-density electronic components such as consumer electronics, servers, and automobiles. Background Technology
[0002] High-power sensors, detectors, wide-bandgap semiconductors, chip stacking, multi-functional integration, and other technologies enable the power density of many power electronic systems to reach or far exceed 2 kW / cm². 2 The corresponding heat intensity reaches 1 kW / cm². 2 To maintain the stable and reliable operation of electronic systems, high-intensity heat dissipation is essential. Electronic components are highly sensitive to temperature. According to the reliability theory of the 10-degree rule, the lifespan is halved for every 10-degree increase in temperature from room temperature. Therefore, heat dissipation design is crucial. Currently, commonly used heat dissipation methods for electronic components mainly include finned heat sinks, heat pipes, VC (cooling coil) heat sinks, water-cooled plates, and immersion cooling. Finned air cooling is an older generation of heat dissipation technology and can no longer meet the needs of current high-power devices. Heat pipe heat sinks consist of sealed tubes, wicks, and vapor channels. However, because they mainly rely on material phase change for heat dissipation, although their performance is better than air cooling, their upper limit is still limited. VC is equivalent to a flat heat pipe, and its heat dissipation capacity can only meet the needs of relatively low-power devices. Water-cooled plates, as an important component of liquid cooling, mainly ensure sufficient contact between their surface and the surface of the power device. The coolant flowing inside the water-cooled plate carries away the heat from the battery through heat exchange, thereby reducing the temperature of the power device. It is currently a relatively conventional high-power heat dissipation method, but due to its large size, it is currently difficult to meet the heat dissipation requirements of highly integrated devices. Immersion cooling is a method of heat dissipation that involves immersing all electronic components in a liquid, allowing the liquid to quickly remove heat. However, it has a complex structure and is very expensive.
[0003] To overcome the shortcomings of typical heat sinks, integrated heat sink technology has emerged. Integrated heat sink technology is a new technology that combines the high thermal conductivity of VC (vapor chamber) and the high heat exchange efficiency of water-cooled plates. It has a more efficient heat dissipation capacity than traditional cold plates and is more suitable for solving heat dissipation problems with high power consumption and high heat flux density. However, because integrated heat sinks combine two different structures, VC (vapor chamber) and water-cooled plates, they are more difficult to manufacture. If the process is not properly selected, it will be impossible to ensure that the key performance of the product, such as interface thermal resistance, heat flux density, temperature uniformity and long-term reliability, meets the user's demanding requirements. Summary of the Invention
[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide an integrated water-cooled radiator and its manufacturing method, and to ensure that the product performance meets user requirements by optimizing the manufacturing process.
[0005] The technical solution of the present invention is as follows: An integrated water-cooled heat sink includes an integral substrate and two heat dissipation structures separated by the substrate. The upper heat dissipation structure is a VC heat dissipation plate with capillary structures inside, and the lower heat dissipation structure is a microchannel water-cooling plate with microchannels formed by etching inside.
[0006] Preferably, in the integrated water-cooled radiator as described above, the substrate material is selected from copper and its alloys, and aluminum and its alloys.
[0007] Preferably, in the integrated water-cooled radiator described above, the VC structure uses water or ethylene glycol as the phase change liquid.
[0008] This invention also provides a method for manufacturing an integrated water-cooled radiator, comprising the following steps: S1, process the upper surface of the substrate to create a VC heat dissipation plate on the upper surface; S2, the lower surface of the substrate is processed to create a microchannel water-cooled plate on the lower surface.
[0009] Preferably, in the preparation method of the integrated water-cooled heat sink as described above, step S1 specifically involves: firstly processing capillary structures on the upper surface of the substrate, then welding the prepared upper cover plate to the substrate as a whole by welding, and then injecting phase change liquid under vacuum to create a VC heat sink plate on the upper surface of the substrate.
[0010] Preferably, in the preparation method of the integrated structure water-cooled heat sink as described above, step S2 specifically involves: firstly processing microchannels on the lower surface of the substrate, and then welding the prepared lower cover plate substrate together by welding to create a microchannel water-cooled plate on the lower surface of the substrate.
[0011] Preferably, in the preparation method of the integrated water-cooled heat sink as described above, in step S1, capillary structures are processed on the upper surface of the substrate by etching, deposition or three-dimensional printing, and the prepared upper cover plate is welded to the substrate by diffusion welding, brazing, laser welding or friction welding.
[0012] Preferably, in the preparation method of the integrated water-cooled radiator as described above, in step S1, after vacuuming and injecting the phase change liquid, vacuuming is performed again and the radiator is sealed.
[0013] Preferably, in the method for fabricating the integrated water-cooled heat sink as described above, in step S2, microchannels are processed on the lower surface of the substrate by etching.
[0014] Preferably, in the preparation method of the integrated water-cooled heat sink as described above, in step S2, the prepared lower cover plate is welded to the substrate by brazing.
[0015] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: The integrated water-cooled heat sink and its manufacturing method disclosed in this invention successfully solve the core problem in the manufacturing of high-performance integrated heat sinks by using an integrated substrate, a faceted manufacturing structure design and a manufacturing sequence of VC followed by microchannels, combined with key low-temperature welding and thermal protection processes, resulting in significant performance improvement and reliability assurance. Attached Figure Description
[0016] The advantages and solutions of this application will become clear to those skilled in the art upon reading the following detailed description of preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.
[0017] In the attached diagram: Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of an integrated water-cooled radiator provided in an embodiment of the present invention.
[0018] Figure 2(A) is a schematic diagram of the preparation process of the VC heat dissipation plate part in the preparation method of the integrated structure water-cooled heat sink provided in the embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2(B) is a schematic diagram of the preparation process of the microchannel water-cooled plate part in the preparation method of the integrated structure water-cooled radiator provided in the embodiment of the present invention.
[0019] The components represented by the various reference numerals in the diagram are: A-VC heat dissipation plate; B-microchannel water cooling plate.
[0020] 1-Substrate, 2-Upper cover plate, 3-Lower cover plate, 4-Capillary structure, 5-Microchannel, 6-Inlet, 7-Outlet. Detailed Implementation
[0021] Example 1 like Figure 1 As shown, this embodiment provides an integrated water-cooled heat sink, including an integral substrate 1 and upper and lower heat dissipation structures separated by the substrate 1. The upper heat dissipation structure is a VC heat dissipation plate A, which contains capillary structures 4, and the lower heat dissipation structure is a microchannel water-cooled plate B, which contains microchannels 5 formed by etching.
[0022] This embodiment of the integrated water-cooled heat sink combines the high thermal conductivity of a vapor chamber (VC) with the high heat exchange efficiency of a water-cooled plate, resulting in more efficient heat dissipation than traditional cold plates and making it more suitable for solving high power consumption and high heat flux density heat dissipation problems. The substrate 1 can be made of copper or its alloys, or aluminum or its alloys; in this embodiment, copper is preferred. The VC structure uses water or ethylene glycol as the phase change liquid.
[0023] Example 2 This embodiment provides a method for manufacturing an integrated water-cooled radiator based on Embodiment 1, including the following steps: S1, process the upper surface of substrate 1 to create a VC heat dissipation plate A on the upper surface.
[0024] In this step, capillary structures 4 are first fabricated on the upper surface of substrate 1. Then, the prepared upper cover plate 2 is welded to substrate 1. Next, a phase change liquid is injected under vacuum to create a VC heat dissipation plate A on the upper surface of substrate 1. This process can be achieved by etching, deposition, or 3D printing to fabricate capillary structures 4 on the upper surface of substrate 1. The prepared upper cover plate 2 is then welded to substrate 1 using diffusion welding, brazing, laser welding, or friction welding. The key point is that after vacuum injection of the phase change liquid, vacuum is applied again and the area is sealed.
[0025] S2, process the lower surface of substrate 1 to create a microchannel water-cooled plate B on the lower surface.
[0026] In this step, microchannels are first fabricated on the lower surface of substrate 1, and then the prepared lower cover plate 3 is welded to substrate 1 to form a microchannel water-cooled plate B on the lower surface of substrate 1. The key point of this process is to fabricate microchannels on the lower surface of substrate 1 by etching and to weld the prepared lower cover plate 3 to substrate 1 to form a microchannel water-cooled plate B on the lower surface of substrate 1 by brazing.
[0027] Integrated heat sinks combine two different structures, a vapor chamber (VC) and a water-cooled plate, and require modular manufacturing processes, making them difficult to produce. Improper process selection can compromise key performance characteristics such as interface thermal resistance, heat flux density, temperature uniformity, and long-term reliability, failing to meet stringent user requirements. In this embodiment, step S1 involves processing capillary structures 4 on the upper surface of substrate 1, then welding the prepared upper cover plate 2 to substrate 1. A phase change liquid is then injected under vacuum. In step S2, microchannels are processed on the lower surface of substrate 1, then brazing the prepared lower cover plate 3 to substrate 1. A microchannel water-cooled plate B is then fabricated on the lower surface of substrate 1. This process, where the microchannel water-cooled module is fabricated only after the VC module is filled with liquid, not only matches the product's key performance requirements but also allows for extreme condition verification of the VC module in conjunction with the final brazing process, thus ensuring the quality and usability of the entire integrated water-cooled heat sink.
[0028] Example 3 Referring to Figures 2(A) and 2(B), this embodiment provides the complete manufacturing process of the above-mentioned integrated water-cooled radiator based on Embodiment 2.
[0029] Figure 2(A) is a schematic diagram of the fabrication process of the VC heat sink plate, and its detailed fabrication steps include: S1.1 Prepare substrate 1; S1.2 Capillary structure 4 is processed on the upper surface of substrate 1; S1.3 Assemble the upper cover plate 2 and the substrate 1 and prepare for welding. In this embodiment, the upper cover plate 2 and the substrate 1 are welded using a brazing process. Therefore, while assembling the upper cover plate 2 and the substrate 1, solder is laid between the upper cover plate 2 and the substrate 1. The inner surface of the upper cover plate 2 can also be provided with a capillary structure 4 that matches the upper surface of the substrate 1. S1.4 Weld the upper cover plate 2 and the substrate 1. In this embodiment, the upper cover plate 2 and the substrate 1 are welded together by brazing process. S1.5 evacuates the internal cavity of the VC heat sink plate; S1.6 Inject phase change liquid into the VC heat sink plate. In this embodiment, the injected phase change liquid is water. S1.7 performs a second vacuuming of the VC heat sink plate's interior; S1.8 seals the VC heat sink plate.
[0030] Figure 2(B) is a schematic diagram of the fabrication process of the microchannel water-cooled plate, and its detailed fabrication steps include: S2.1 Grinding and polishing the lower surface of substrate 1; S2.2 Photolithographic patterning on the lower surface of substrate 1; S2.3 Etches microchannels on the lower surface of substrate 1; S2.4 Assemble the lower cover plate 3 and the substrate 1, and prepare for welding. In this embodiment, the lower cover plate 3 and the substrate 1 are welded using a brazing process. Therefore, while assembling the lower cover plate 3 and the substrate 1, solder is laid between the lower cover plate 3 and the substrate 1. S2.5 Welding the lower cover plate 3 to the substrate 1. In this embodiment, brazing is used to weld the lower cover plate 3 and the substrate 1 together. As mentioned above, in order to meet the product technical requirements, the microchannel water-cooled module is fabricated only after the VC module is prepared. Therefore, this step is a critical step in the entire preparation process. First, a solder with a melting point of 180-250°C is selected for low-temperature brazing, and a water-cooling fixture is made. The water-cooling fixture is used to press multiple assemblies to be welded against the welding base plate. One side of the VC heat dissipation plate is in close contact with the cooling surface of the water-cooling fixture. During welding, the temperature sensor continuously measures the temperature. The forced water cooling effect of the water-cooling fixture ensures that the temperature of the VC core area is always below the set threshold (e.g., 90°C).
[0031] The above thresholds are determined based on the nominal operating temperature of the heat sink product, and are appropriately 2%-15% higher than the upper limit of the nominal operating temperature. When it is necessary to verify the extreme operating conditions of the VC module in conjunction with the soldering process, the temperature of the VC core area can be further controlled into a fluctuation range. By strengthening the temperature fluctuation (at least the peak value is 2%-15% higher than the upper limit of the nominal operating temperature), the safety and reliability of the VC module under extreme operating conditions can be verified.
[0032] Preferably, after step S2.5, there is an additional sealing step S2.6 to protect the inlet 6 and outlet 7.
[0033] The above description is merely a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited thereto. Any variations or substitutions that can be easily conceived by those skilled in the art within the technical scope disclosed in the present invention should be included within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the scope of the claims.
Claims
1. An integrated water-cooled radiator, characterized in that, It includes an integral substrate (1) and two heat dissipation structures separated by the substrate (1). The upper heat dissipation structure is a VC heat dissipation plate (A) with capillary structures (4) inside. The lower heat dissipation structure is a microchannel water cooling plate (B) with microchannels (5) formed by etching inside.
2. The integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The material of the substrate (1) is selected from copper and its alloys, aluminum and its alloys.
3. The integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 1, characterized in that, The VC structure uses water or ethylene glycol as the phase change liquid.
4. A method for manufacturing an integrated water-cooled radiator, characterized in that, Including the following steps: S1, the upper surface of the substrate (1) is processed to create a VC heat dissipation plate (A) on the upper surface. S2, the lower surface of the substrate (1) is processed to create a microchannel water-cooled plate (B) on the lower surface.
5. The method for preparing the integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 4, characterized in that, Step S1 is as follows: First, a capillary structure (4) is processed on the upper surface of the substrate (1). Then, the prepared upper cover plate (2) is welded to the substrate (1) by welding. Then, a phase change liquid is injected by vacuuming to create a VC heat dissipation plate (A) on the upper surface of the substrate (1).
6. The method for preparing the integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 5, characterized in that, Step S2 is as follows: first, microchannels are processed on the lower surface of the substrate (1), and then the prepared lower cover plate (3) is welded to the substrate (1) by welding to create a microchannel water cooling plate (B) on the lower surface of the substrate (1).
7. The method for preparing the integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S1, capillary structures (4) are processed on the upper surface of the substrate (1) by etching, deposition or three-dimensional printing, and the prepared upper cover plate (2) is welded to the substrate (1) by diffusion welding, brazing, laser welding or friction welding.
8. The method for preparing the integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 5, characterized in that, In step S1, after the phase change liquid is injected under vacuum, it is vacuumed again and then sealed.
9. The method for preparing the integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S2, microchannels are fabricated on the lower surface of the substrate (1) by etching.
10. The method for preparing the integrated water-cooled radiator according to claim 6, characterized in that, In step S2, the prepared lower cover plate (3) is brazed to the substrate (1) to form a whole.