Cooling arrangement for cooling at least one electronic circuit

Abstract

A cooling arrangement for cooling at least one electronic circuit (2) is proposed, wherein the electronic circuit (2) is arranged on a first side of a plate-shaped substrate (3), wherein a heat sink (4) for indirect cooling of the electronic circuit (2) is arranged on a second side of the substrate (3) facing away from the electronic circuit (2), and wherein the coolant supply circuit has at least one cooling channel (1) through which coolant flows, in which the substrate (3) with the electronic circuit (2) and the heat sink (4) is arranged such that a surface of the electronic circuit (2) and the heat sink (4) can be directly exposed to the coolant flow.

Description

[0001] The present invention relates to a cooling arrangement for cooling at least one electronic circuit with a cooling fluid supply circuit, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged on a first side of a plate-shaped substrate and wherein a heat sink for indirectly cooling the electronic circuit is arranged on a second side of the substrate facing away from the electronic circuit.

[0002] The power dissipation density of modern integrated circuits and semiconductors is constantly increasing in many applications, which also increases the requirements for heat dissipation or cooling of electronic circuits and semiconductors. It is generally known that a semiconductor chip arranged, for example, on a plate-shaped substrate is cooled indirectly by means of heat conduction through a heat sink located on the underside of the substrate. A heat sink, for example, can be arranged on the underside as a heat sink, which is cooled via the cooling fluid supply circuit. Indirect cooling is limited in terms of its cooling capacity.

[0003] Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to propose a cooling arrangement which further improves the cooling of an electronic circuit.

[0004] This object is achieved according to the invention by the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous and claimed developments emerge from the subclaims and the description as well as the drawings.

[0005] Thus, a cooling arrangement for cooling at least one electronic circuit with a cooling fluid supply circuit is proposed, wherein the electronic circuit is arranged on a first side of a plate-shaped substrate, and wherein a heat sink for indirectly cooling the electronic circuit is arranged on a second side of the substrate facing away from the electronic circuit. To further improve the cooling performance, the cooling fluid supply circuit has at least one cooling channel through which cooling fluid flows, in which the substrate with the electronic circuit and the heat sink is arranged such that a surface of the electronic circuit and the heat sink can be directly exposed to the cooling fluid.

[0006] In this way, the proposed cooling arrangement combines indirect cooling and direct cooling via a cooling fluid flow of the cooling fluid supply circuit in order to significantly increase the efficiency of cooling electronic circuits.

[0007] In order to implement a combination of the two cooling mechanisms as simply and cost-effectively as possible, the proposed cooling arrangement provides an element for splitting the cooling fluid flow at an inlet region of the cooling channel, wherein a first cooling fluid partial flow can be fed to the electronic circuit arranged on the first side of the substrate and wherein a second cooling fluid partial flow can be fed to the heat sink arranged on the second side of the substrate. By splitting the cooling fluid flow upstream of the electronic circuit in the cooling channel, both the surface of the electronic circuit and the heat sink are flowed around by the cooling fluid flow, so that effective cooling is achieved directly via the surface and indirectly via the heat sink, which enables highly efficient heat dissipation.

[0008] For example, the interior cross-section of the cooling channel can be changed in the flow direction to increase the flow velocity. Preferably, the interior cross-section of the cooling channel can initially be narrowed at the inlet area, for example, by forming a nozzle or the like at the inlet area of ​​the cooling channel, in order to increase the flow velocity and thus achieve more effective cooling.

[0009] Particularly effective cooling is achieved by having at least one inner wall region of the cooling channel, opposite the surface of the electronic circuit, protrude into the interior space to modify the flow profile of the cooling fluid flow. This allows for various flow profiles to be realized, further increasing cooling performance.

[0010] For example, the surface shape of the inner wall region protruding into the interior of the cooling channel can be designed such that the cooling fluid flow is directed directly onto the surface of the electronic circuit, at least in some areas. This can significantly reduce the surface temperature of the electronic circuit.

[0011] The surface shape of the inner wall region of the cooling channel, against which the cooling fluid flows, can be triangular, polygonal, trapezoidal, and / or even partially circular, at least in sections. It is also conceivable to use a combination of the aforementioned shapes to further optimize the flow profile of the cooling fluid for effective cooling, e.g., by generating turbulence.

[0012] To ensure direct cooling of the surface of the electronic circuit without the use of insulating materials, the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid supply circuit is designed to be a dielectric fluid. Thus, a non-electrically conductive or weakly conductive fluid is used as the cooling fluid.

[0013] The electronic circuit is preferably a semiconductor chip mounted on a substrate as a carrier structure. However, the electronic circuit can also be understood as an integrated circuit.

[0014] The present invention is further explained below with reference to the drawings.

[0015] They show: Fig. 1 a schematic detailed view of a possible embodiment of a cooling arrangement according to the invention for cooling an electronic circuit in a cooling channel of a cooling oil supply circuit; and Fig. 2 a detailed view of an inlet area of ​​the cooling channel of the cooling oil supply circuit.

[0016] In the Fig. 1 and Fig. 2 shows various views of a cooling channel 1 of a cooling fluid supply circuit of a cooling arrangement according to the invention as part of the cooling fluid supply circuit without a pump and corresponding supply channels.

[0017] An electronic circuit as a semiconductor chip 2 is arranged on a first side of a plate-shaped substrate 3, wherein a heat sink 4 for indirectly cooling the electronic circuit 2 is arranged on a second side of the substrate 3 facing away from the electronic circuit 2. The substrate 3 is arranged in the cooling channel 1 of the cooling fluid supply circuit of the proposed cooling arrangement such that the cooling fluid flows around a surface of the electronic circuit 2 and the heat sink 4.

[0018] For this purpose, an element 5, for example, a fin or the like, is provided at an inlet area of ​​the cooling channel 1 for dividing the cooling fluid flow. Dividing the cooling fluid flow results in a first cooling fluid partial flow 6 and a second cooling fluid partial flow 7. The first cooling fluid partial flow 6 flows around the surface of the electronic circuit 2 on the first side of the substrate 3, and the second cooling fluid partial flow 7 flows around the heat sink 4 on the second side of the substrate 3.

[0019] As a result, the electronic circuit 2 is cooled indirectly at the bottom via the heat sink 4 and, in addition, the surface of the electronic circuit 2 is cooled directly by the fluid flow.

[0020] The distribution of the cooling fluid flow is determined in particular by Fig. 2, since there the fluid flow and the two cooling fluid partial flows are indicated by arrows, which result from the element 5 for dividing the cooling fluid flow.

[0021] In addition, Fig. 2 that an inner wall region on an upper side 8 of the cooling channel 1 is designed with a surface shape 9 that protrudes into the interior and against which the first cooling fluid partial flow 6 flows, so that the first cooling fluid partial flow 6 is directed directly onto the surface of the electronic circuit 2 in order to realize direct cooling. This results, for example, in a wave-shaped flow profile of the first cooling fluid partial flow 6. The surface shape 9, for example trapezoidal in shape, on the inner wall of the upper side 8 of the cooling channel 1 is located directly opposite the electronic circuit 2 attached to the first side of the substrate 3. Different surface shapes can also be combined with one another. Reference symbol 1 cooling channel 2 electronic circuit or semiconductor chip 3 Substrat 4 heat sinks 5 Element for dividing the cooling fluid flow 6 first cooling fluid flow 7 second cooling fluid flow 8 Top of the cooling channel 9 surface shape protruding into the interior

Claims

[1] Cooling arrangement for cooling at least one electronic circuit (2) with a cooling fluid supply circuit, wherein the electronic circuit (2) is arranged on a first side of a plate-shaped substrate (3) and wherein a heat sink (4) for indirectly cooling the electronic circuit (2) is arranged on a second side of the substrate (3) facing away from the electronic circuit (2), characterized by that the cooling fluid supply circuit has at least one cooling channel (1) through which cooling fluid flows, in which the substrate (3) with the electronic circuit (2) and the heat sink (4) is arranged such that a surface of the electronic circuit (2) and the heat sink (4) can be directly exposed to the cooling fluid. [2] Cooling arrangement according to claim 1, characterized bythat an element (5) for dividing the cooling fluid flow is provided at an inlet region of the cooling channel (1), wherein a first cooling fluid partial flow (6) can be fed to the electronic circuit (2) arranged on the first side of the substrate (3) and wherein a second cooling fluid partial flow (7) can be fed to the heat sink (4) arranged on the second side of the substrate (3). [3] Cooling arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by that an interior cross-section of the cooling channel (1) changes in the flow direction to increase the flow velocity. [4] Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that at least one inner wall region of the cooling channel (1) opposite the surface of the electronic circuit (2) projects into the interior to change the flow profile of the cooling fluid flow. [5] Cooling arrangement according to claim 4, characterized bythat a surface shape projecting into the interior of the cooling channel (1) is designed such that the cooling fluid flow is directed at least in some areas directly onto the surface of the electronic circuit (1). [6] Cooling arrangement according to claim 5, characterized by that the surface shape of the inner wall region of the cooling channel (1) against which the cooling fluid flow flows is triangular and / or polygonal and / or trapezoidal and / or at least partially circular. [7] Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the cooling fluid of the cooling fluid supply circuit is a dielectric fluid. [8] Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by that the electronic circuit (2) is arranged as a semiconductor chip on a carrier structure.

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