3D capillary structure for vapor chamber, preparation method of 3D capillary structure and vapor chamber
By forming an array of micropores on the surface of copper foil and then pressing it, a thinner 3D capillary structure was prepared, solving the problem that the thickness of the existing heat spreader capillary structure could not be reduced, and achieving efficient production.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2025-12-23
- Publication Date
- 2026-04-10
AI Technical Summary
The capillary thickness of existing heat spreaders cannot be further reduced, which limits the development of thinner heat spreaders.
Using copper foil as the substrate, an array of micropores is formed on its surface, and a 3D capillary structure is formed through pressing. The specific process includes laser drilling and stamping.
The fabricated 3D capillary structure is thinner and has higher production efficiency, meeting the demand for thinner and lighter electronic devices.
Smart Images
Figure CN121843052A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This invention relates to the field of heat exchanger technology, and in particular to a 3D capillary structure for a heat exchanger, its preparation method, and the heat exchanger itself. Background Technology
[0002] A vapor chamber is a device that utilizes the principle of phase change (liquid absorbs heat and evaporates, gas releases heat and condenses) for efficient heat dissipation, and is one of the commonly used passive cooling technologies in the consumer electronics field. As electronic devices become increasingly thinner and lighter, the space for internal electronic components is shrinking, leading to thinner vapor chambers. Vapor chambers typically have a vacuum chamber with capillary structures inside. Existing capillary structures are mostly woven mesh structures made of materials such as copper and steel. Limited by the minimum filament diameter of the woven unit, the thickness of a woven capillary structure is no less than 0.04 mm, preventing further reductions in vapor chamber thickness. Therefore, an extremely thin capillary structure is needed to allow for further reductions in vapor chamber thickness to meet the demands of thinner and lighter electronic devices. Summary of the Invention
[0003] The main objective of this invention is to propose a 3D capillary structure for a vapor chamber and its preparation method, as well as the vapor chamber itself, in order to solve the problem that the thickness of the capillary structure in existing vapor chambers cannot be further reduced.
[0004] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention proposes a method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader, comprising: Provide copper foil; A number of micropores arranged in an array are formed on the surface of the copper foil to obtain a 3D capillary structure intermediate. The 3D capillary intermediate is pressed to make the 3D capillary structure have continuous dot-like protrusions, thus obtaining the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader.
[0005] Preferably, the thickness of the copper foil is 0.0067~0.015mm.
[0006] Preferably, forming a plurality of arrayed micropores on the surface of the copper foil includes: drilling holes in the copper foil using a laser.
[0007] Preferably, the diameter of the micropores is 0.02~0.03 mm, and the spacing between the micropores is 0.2~0.3 mm.
[0008] Preferably, the pressing process includes stamping.
[0009] Preferably, the stamping process is die-forming.
[0010] Preferably, the thickness of the 3D capillary structure used for the heat spreader is 0.02~0.03 mm.
[0011] Preferably, the dot-shaped protrusions comprise a rectangular array, the spacing between adjacent dot-shaped protrusions is 0.2~0.3 mm, the height of the dot-shaped protrusions is 0.006~0.008 mm, and the dot-shaped protrusions are arranged in a symmetrical array facing upwards and downwards.
[0012] The present invention also proposes a 3D capillary structure for a heat exchanger, which is prepared by the method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat exchanger proposed in the present invention.
[0013] The present invention also proposes a heat spreader, comprising a first heat-conducting plate, a second heat-conducting plate, and a capillary structure, wherein the capillary structure is located between the first heat-conducting plate and the second heat-conducting plate, and the capillary structure is the 3D capillary structure for heat spreaders proposed in the present invention.
[0014] The technical solution of this invention involves forming an array of micropores on the surface of a copper foil and then pressing them to create a 3D capillary structure, which is thinner than existing copper or steel meshes. Furthermore, the method for preparing the 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader in this invention is simple and has higher production efficiency compared to existing processes that use copper or steel woven meshes. Attached Figure Description
[0015] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on the structures shown in these drawings without creative effort.
[0016] Figure 1 A schematic flowchart of a method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader is provided for the present invention. Figure 2 A schematic diagram illustrating the step of forming a plurality of arrayed micropores on the surface of a copper foil provided by the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the 3D capillary intermediate provided by the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the pressing process for a 3D capillary intermediate provided by the present invention. Figure 5 This is a physical image of the 3D capillary structure provided by the present invention.
[0017] The realization of the objective, functional features and advantages of the present invention will be further explained in conjunction with the embodiments and with reference to the accompanying drawings. Detailed Implementation
[0018] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only a part of the embodiments of the present invention, and not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those of ordinary skill in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.
[0019] It should be noted that if the embodiments of the present invention involve directional indicators (such as up, down, left, right, front, back, etc.), the directional indicators are only used to explain the relative positional relationship and movement of the components in a specific posture. If the specific posture changes, the directional indicators will also change accordingly.
[0020] Furthermore, if the embodiments of this invention involve descriptions such as "first" or "second," these descriptions are for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying their relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined with "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include at least one of those features. Additionally, the use of "and / or" or "and / or" throughout the text includes three parallel solutions. For example, "A and / or B" includes solution A, solution B, or a solution where both A and B are satisfied simultaneously. Furthermore, the technical solutions of the various embodiments can be combined with each other, but this must be based on the ability of those skilled in the art to implement them. When the combination of technical solutions is contradictory or impossible to implement, it should be considered that such a combination of technical solutions does not exist and is not within the scope of protection claimed by this invention.
[0021] For heat exchangers, the capillary structure woven mesh (copper mesh, steel mesh) is commonly used. However, due to the limitation that the minimum unit wire diameter thickness is 0.02mm, the thinnest thickness after weaving is >0.04mm. Currently, the thinnest thickness that can be achieved is 0.042~0.045mm, which results in high production costs and long production cycles.
[0022] Based on this, the present invention proposes a method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes the following steps: S1. Provide copper foil.
[0023] In some embodiments, the thickness of the copper foil is 0.0067 to 0.015 mm. For example, the thickness of the copper foil can be 0.0067 mm, 0.007 mm, 0.008 mm, 0.009 mm, 0.01 mm, 0.012 mm, 0.013 mm, 0.014 mm, or 0.015 mm, etc.
[0024] S2. Several micropores arranged in an array are formed on the surface of copper foil to obtain a 3D capillary structure intermediate.
[0025] In some embodiments, the step of forming a plurality of arrayed micropores on a copper foil includes: drilling holes in the copper foil using a laser. For example... Figure 2 As shown, a laser is used to directly drill holes in the copper foil, creating an array of micro-holes on the copper foil.
[0026] In some implementations, an ultraviolet (UV) laser is used, which can achieve micron-level perforation on copper foil. Whether the power of the UV laser needs to be limited is another matter. By precisely controlling the energy density and pulse number of the UV laser, layer-by-layer removal of the copper foil can be achieved, thereby producing micropores with regular shapes and neat edges.
[0027] In some implementations, the micropores on the copper foil are like Figure 3 The setup is shown. The diameter of the micropores is 0.02~0.03 mm. For example, the diameter of the micropores can be 0.02 mm, 0.021 mm, 0.022 mm, 0.023 mm, 0.024 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.026 mm, 0.027 mm, 0.028 mm, 0.029 mm, or 0.03 mm, etc. The spacing between the micropores is 0.2~0.3 mm. For example, the spacing between the micropores can be 0.2 mm, 0.21 mm, 0.22 mm, 0.23 mm, 0.24 mm, 0.25 mm, 0.26 mm, 0.27 mm, 0.28 mm, 0.29 mm, or 0.3 mm, etc.
[0028] S3. Press the 3D capillary intermediate to make the 3D capillary structure a continuous wave shape, thus obtaining the 3D capillary structure for the heat exchanger.
[0029] In some implementations, the pressing process includes stamping. Stamping allows 3D capillary intermediates to quickly form a wavy structure; the process is simple, fast, and highly efficient.
[0030] In some implementations, the stamping process is a die-forming process. See also... Figure 4 The die-clamping process includes an upper die and a lower die. The upper die has a first protrusion, and the lower die has a second protrusion. The first and second protrusions are staggered, and the distance between adjacent first and second protrusions and the height of the protrusions are 0.006~0.008mm. By closing the upper and lower dies, the copper foil placed in the die-clamping process forms dot-like protrusions.
[0031] In some embodiments, after pressing the 3D capillary intermediate, the thickness of the resulting 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader is 2 to 3 times the thickness of the copper foil. For example, the thickness of the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader is 2, 2.5, or 3 times the thickness of the copper foil. Specifically, the thickness of the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader is 0.02 to 0.03 mm. For example, the thickness of the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader is 0.02 mm, 0.021 mm, 0.022 mm, 0.023 mm, 0.024 mm, 0.025 mm, 0.026 mm, 0.027 mm, 0.028 mm, 0.029 mm, or 0.03 mm.
[0032] In some embodiments, the dot-like protrusions comprise a rectangular array, with the spacing between adjacent protrusions being 0.2–0.3 mm, the height of each protrusion being 0.006–0.008 mm, and the protrusions arranged symmetrically in an upward and downward orientation. For example, the spacing between adjacent protrusions may be 0.2 mm, 0.25 mm, or 0.3 mm, etc., and the height of each protrusion may be 0.006 mm, 0.007 mm, or 0.008 mm, etc.
[0033] The present invention also proposes a 3D capillary structure for a heat exchanger, which is prepared by the method described above for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat exchanger.
[0034] The present invention also proposes a heat spreader, which generally includes a first heat-conducting plate, a second heat-conducting plate, and a capillary structure. The capillary structure is located between the first heat-conducting plate and the second heat-conducting plate, and the capillary structure is a 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader as described above.
[0035] The following specific examples provide further details.
[0036] Example 1 A copper foil with a thickness of 0.0067 mm is provided. The copper foil is irradiated with an ultraviolet laser to form micropores with a diameter of 0.02 mm and a spacing of 0.2 mm between the micropores, thus obtaining a 3D capillary intermediate. The 3D capillary intermediate is then subjected to die-cutting to obtain a 3D capillary structure with a thickness of 0.02 mm for use in a heat spreader.
[0037] Example 2 A copper foil with a thickness of 0.01 mm is provided. The copper foil is irradiated with an ultraviolet laser to form micropores with a diameter of 0.025 mm and a spacing of 0.25 mm between the micropores, resulting in a 3D capillary intermediate. The 3D capillary intermediate is then subjected to die-cutting to obtain a 0.025 mm thick 3D capillary structure for use in a heat spreader.
[0038] Example 3 A copper foil with a thickness of 0.015 mm is provided. The copper foil is irradiated with an ultraviolet laser to form micropores with a diameter of 0.03 mm and a spacing of 0.3 mm between the micropores, thus obtaining a 3D capillary intermediate. The 3D capillary intermediate is then subjected to die-cutting to obtain a 3D capillary structure with a thickness of 0.03 mm for use in a heat spreader.
[0039] Example 4 A copper foil with a thickness of 0.008 mm is provided. The copper foil is irradiated with an ultraviolet laser to form micropores with a diameter of 0.02 mm and a spacing of 0.2 mm, resulting in a 3D capillary structure intermediate. The 3D capillary structure intermediate is then subjected to die-cutting to obtain a 0.03 mm thick 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader. Figure 5 As shown.
[0040] In summary, the technical solution of this invention forms a series of arrayed micropores on the surface of a copper foil and then presses them to create a 3D capillary structure, which is thinner than existing copper or steel meshes. Furthermore, the method for preparing the 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader in this invention is simple and has higher production efficiency compared to existing processes that use copper or steel woven meshes.
[0041] The above description is merely an exemplary embodiment of the present invention and does not limit the patent scope of the present invention. Any equivalent structural transformations made using the contents of the present invention specification and drawings under the technical concept of the present invention, or direct / indirect applications in other related technical fields, are included within the patent protection scope of the present invention.
Claims
1. A method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader, characterized in that, The method for preparing the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader includes: Provide copper foil; A number of micropores arranged in an array are formed on the surface of the copper foil to obtain a 3D capillary structure intermediate. The 3D capillary intermediate is pressed to make the 3D capillary structure have continuous dot-like protrusions, thus obtaining the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader.
2. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the copper foil is 0.0067~0.015mm.
3. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, Forming a plurality of arrayed micropores on the surface of the copper foil includes: A laser is used to drill holes in the copper foil.
4. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The diameter of the micropores is 0.02~0.03 mm, and the spacing between the micropores is 0.2~0.3 mm.
5. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The pressing process includes stamping.
6. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 5, characterized in that, The stamping process is die-fitting stamping.
7. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The thickness of the 3D capillary structure used for the heat spreader is 0.02~0.03 mm.
8. The method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in claim 1, characterized in that, The dot-shaped protrusions comprise a rectangular array, with a spacing of 0.2 to 0.3 mm between adjacent dot-shaped protrusions, a height of 0.006 to 0.008 mm, and the dot-shaped protrusions are arranged in a symmetrical array facing upwards and downwards.
9. A 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader, characterized in that, It is prepared by the method for preparing a 3D capillary structure for a heat spreader as described in any one of claims 1 to 8.
10. A heat spreader, characterized in that, The heat spreader includes a first heat-conducting plate, a second heat-conducting plate, and a capillary structure. The capillary structure is located between the first heat-conducting plate and the second heat-conducting plate. The capillary structure is the 3D capillary structure for the heat spreader as described in claim 9.