Cooling arrangement, control device, heatsink and production process

Abstract

A cooling arrangement comprising a housing (2), in particular a housing of a control device (1) or of a sensor, comprising a component to be cooled, which is arranged in the housing (2) of the cooling arrangement, and comprising a first thermal component, which is arranged on the component to be cooled, and the housing (2) has a recess (4), in which the first thermal component is fitted in such a way that the first thermal component is mechanically aligned with the component to be cooled and is thermally coupled to the component to be cooled, and a tolerance-compensating material is provided between the first thermal component and the housing (2).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Cooling arrangement, control device, heat sink and manufacturing process

[0003] The present invention relates to a novel cooling arrangement, in particular for a sensor system or a control device, a corresponding control device which has a cooling arrangement according to the invention, a heat sink for a cooling arrangement according to the invention and a manufacturing method of a cooling arrangement according to the invention.

[0004] Technological background

[0005] Modern means of transport such as motor vehicles or motorcycles are increasingly being equipped with driver assistance systems that use sensor systems to detect the environment, recognize traffic situations, and assist the driver, e.g., by braking or steering intervention or by issuing a visual or acoustic warning. Radar sensors, lidar sensors, camera sensors, or similar sensors are regularly used as sensor systems for environmental detection. The data acquired by the sensors can then be used to draw conclusions about the environment, which can be used, for example, to classify objects and / or the environment or to create an environment model. Furthermore, environmental detection is almost indispensable in the field of (partially) autonomous driving, so there is particular interest in the further development and enhancement of these systems.Electronic control units (ECUs) or control devices are generally used to control actuators (brakes, engine, transmission, etc.) and / or sensors as well as to calculate and control driving and assistance functions.

[0006] An important aspect of electronic control units is heat dissipation. The heat to be dissipated from the electronic control unit can be dissipated to the outside, for example, through a thermally conductive housing, such as a metal housing. On the surface, or at least on one side of the housing, the challenge, with high power dissipation, is to dissipate the heat as effectively as possible to protect the components inside the housing from overheating. Various forms of cooling exist, such as air cooling, possibly with cooling fins or nubs, or a closed coolant circuit that can be connected to the housing of the control unit and flows over a housing wall or its surface.

[0007] Generic electronic control units, particularly high-performance computer systems, which are increasingly being used in modern vehicles and in aviation, are increasingly becoming high-performance computer systems. These systems must function in ambient temperatures or with coolant temperatures of, for example, -40 to 65°C or more. In contrast, however, some electronic components in the control units, particularly data storage modules such as RAM (Random Access Memory) or Flash modules or EEPROMs (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), are often subject to very limited upper permissible temperatures. Furthermore, due to ever increasing data transfer speeds, but also to the need to avoid voltage drops or oscillations, fast data storage modules should be located as close as possible to the microprocessors or chips that control them.

[0008] High-performance processors (especially CPUs, GPUs, switches, ICs, or the like) are placed close to them, as their proximity usually enables the required fast write and read speeds and communication speeds. These high-performance processors typically generate considerable waste heat, which in typical applications can significantly heat up much more heat-sensitive components in the immediate vicinity of the high-performance processors, and therefore the heat must be dissipated. With ever-increasing power dissipation, especially in high-performance processors, neighboring components are subjected to ever greater thermal stress, and the cooling systems must become increasingly complex to dissipate heat from the heat generators and the neighboring, more sensitive components.According to the current state of the art, heat sinks are attached to high-performance processors and the surrounding components to cool them to acceptable temperatures. One method for dissipating heat from heat hotspots is so-called "heat pipes," which utilize the vaporization enthalpy of a medium to achieve a high heat flux density and thus effectively dissipate heat.

[0009] The heat dissipation of the high-performance processor core is often achieved via a metallic processor housing (LID), which also protects the processor core from mechanical damage, and via a tolerance-compensating internal thermal interface material (TIM), which is applied between the chip (core) and the LID. The processor housing (LID) or chip housing (or package) is the encasing of a semiconductor chip or a "die" or "IC (Integrated Circuit) component", including the connection points (pins, balls, or leads). If the cooling is to be connected to a common control unit housing, the metallic processor housing is connected to the metal housing (usually an aluminum housing) via an additional layer of tolerance-compensating "thermal interface material" (TIM) (paste, adhesive, or heat-conducting mat). The aluminum housing is, for example,equipped with cooling fins for air cooling or with channels for fluid cooling, which can dissipate the heat. The relatively thick TIM layers can be disadvantageous, as the material usually has significantly poorer thermal conductivity than, for example, aluminum and copper, which are also often used in the housings, and must bridge thicknesses of several hundred micrometers to several millimeters for tolerance compensation reasons. Accordingly, a temperature drop occurs across the TIM (usually in the range of several degrees Celsius). In addition, there is a temperature drop at the processor housing - depending on the thickness, type, and compression of the material, also of several degrees Celsius. Such temperature drops cause a significant reduction in performance. There is therefore a particular need for solutions to reduce temperature drops due to the values ​​​​determined by material constants.Several design solutions are already known for achieving the thinnest possible TIM layers using tolerance chains and / or enlarging the heat transfer surfaces as much as possible to reduce thermal resistance. However, the disadvantage of this is the increased temperature on the processor or processor housing, which causes neighboring components, which themselves generate little waste heat, to heat up more significantly.

[0010] Printed state of the art

[0011] Various TIM materials are known from DE 11 2007 002 317 T5. Furthermore, DE 11 2007 002 317 T5 addresses the problem that integrated circuit devices (IC devices) generate large amounts of thermal energy during operation, which negatively impacts their performance and can cause damage via various mechanisms if it is not dissipated. An integrated circuit arrangement (IC arrangement) is disclosed, comprising a first thermal component (or passive cooling arrangement) arranged adjacent to the IC arrangement, and a TIM arranged between the IC arrangement and the first thermal component, each thermally coupled to the IC device and the first thermal component. Furthermore, a second thermal component is provided, which is thermally coupled to the first thermal component.A passive cooling arrangement can be provided as the first thermal component and an active cooling arrangement or a second passive cooling arrangement can be provided as the second thermal component.

[0012] Object of the present invention

[0013] The object of the present invention is to provide a generic cooling arrangement with which good heat dissipation between a thermal component (or heat sink or cooling element) and a component to be cooled (or the assembly components to be cooled) is achieved and the disadvantages resulting from the prior art are overcome in a simple, space-saving and cost-effective manner.

[0014] Solution to the task

[0015] The above object is achieved by the entire teaching of claim 1 and the subordinate claims. Advantageous embodiments of the invention are claimed in the subclaims.

[0016] The cooling arrangement according to the invention comprises a housing, in particular a control device housing or a sensor housing, a component to be cooled, which is arranged in the housing of the cooling arrangement or control device housing, and a first thermal component, which is arranged on the component to be cooled. Furthermore, the housing has a recess into which the first thermal component is inserted, such that the first thermal component and the component to be cooled are thermally coupled, in particular without major gaps, and mechanically aligned with one another. According to the invention, a tolerance compensation material is provided between the first thermal component and the housing, which fixes the first thermal component (or the heat sink). By means of the cooling arrangement according to the invention, the thickness of the TIM layer orThe number of layers and / or the number of TIM layers can be reduced, significantly improving heat transfer from the component to be cooled to the first thermal component or the heat sink. Surprisingly, it has been shown that with the new cooling arrangement, the TIM layer only needs to be applied very thinly, or can even be omitted entirely.

[0017] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the cooling arrangement according to the invention, the tolerance compensation material (in particular fastening material) is a material that hardens, in particular after or during assembly, such as an adhesive, resin, epoxy or the like, which can preferably not be compressed or can only be compressed slightly. The tolerance compensation material is advantageously applied in a liquid or pasty state to the edge of the recess on the housing or also to the first thermal component or the heat sink (or to its collar). The first thermal component is only fixed in the recess when the tolerance compensation material hardens. In addition, the tolerance compensation material then creates a stable connection between the first thermal component or heat sink and the housing, which makes it possible to absorb forces that act on the first thermal component orThe heat sink's forces are transferred to the housing and not to a comparatively sensitive component or processor device that needs to be cooled. This allows the component to be cooled to be particularly well protected from mechanical forces that might occur, for example, during a shock or a drop.

[0018] Furthermore, a second thermal component can be provided, which is arranged on the housing and / or the first thermal component to dissipate heat from the first thermal component. This allows for even more effective heat regulation or cooling. According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, a TIM or a TIM layer can be arranged between the first and second thermal components, and / or a TIM or a TIM layer can be arranged between the first thermal component and the component to be cooled.

[0019] Preferably, the first thermal component is designed as a heat sink or "heat spreader," which is made, for example, from a metal, in particular copper and / or aluminum and / or an alloy thereof. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the heat sink can also consist of an aluminum-copper composite material and be manufactured, for example, as a so-called extruded part. Such a design can be particularly suitable because aluminum is particularly flexible in its use (e.g., compatible with the aluminum components used in cooling water circuits) and copper has excellent thermal conduction properties, so that the advantages of both materials can be combined.

[0020] The heat sink can expediently have a collar, with the tolerance compensation material being arranged on the collar, i.e., between the collar of the heat sink and the edge of the recess. This allows the heat sink to fit particularly well into the recess.

[0021] Alternatively, the heat sink can also have a rhombohedral or trapezoidal cross-section. This heat sink design is particularly suitable for recesses where there is no clearly defined edge (e.g., due to unevenness or poor workmanship), as the tapered cross-section of the rhombohedron or trapezoid can adapt to different sizes and cross-sections of a recess.

[0022] Furthermore, the heat sink can also have cooling fins or cooling knobs on the top side, ie on the side facing away from the part or component to be cooled.

[0023] According to a further embodiment of the invention, the second thermal component can comprise a heat pipe or a fluid cooling system, in particular a water cooling system with fluid channels or an air cooling system with cooling fins or a fluid plate with fluid channels; moreover, other passive and active cooling systems known from the prior art can also be provided as the second thermal component.

[0024] Preferably, the second thermal component is an elastic bellows or a cooling pad that is at least partially made of flexible material, so that the second thermal component or a flexible part of the second thermal component conforms to the first thermal component. Due to the flexible properties of the heat sink material, it conforms to the components to be cooled, particularly when expanding (e.g., when filled with fluid). At the same time, the second thermal component can also conform to housing locations and, thanks to the component-related flexibility, can simultaneously conform to components located on different levels, such as the housing and heat sink, without the need for a TIM to fill the tolerance gap.

[0025] Metal foil, in particular aluminum foil or copper foil, and / or plastic foil and / or a laminate and / or a composite foil, which in particular comprises a metal foil and at least one plastic foil, can expediently be provided as the flexible material, since such foils can be produced and processed simply and cost-effectively. By providing a composite foil or a laminate as the flexible material, the durability and stability of the heat sink can be easily improved. In addition, the heat sink can be adapted to the properties of the respective cooling medium or to the ambient conditions. Furthermore, the flexible material can also have a coating, in particular an aluminum coating, in order to improve the properties with regard to stability, tightness, aging, and durability.In particular, anoxal layers (anoxal process = an aluminum oxide layer is created on the surface of the aluminum by anodic polarization of the aluminum) or anodized layers (anodized process = electrolytic oxidation of aluminum, whereby an oxide protective layer on aluminum is created by anodic oxidation) are also suitable as a coating for an aluminum foil.

[0026] Furthermore, the second thermal component can be filled with a cooling medium or can be flowed through by a cooling medium, wherein a fluid, in particular water, glycol, a water-glycol mixture, air, CO2 or the like, is provided as the cooling medium.

[0027] Additional tolerance compensation material can also be expediently provided to compensate for tolerances and is arranged between the first thermal component and the second thermal component and / or a circuit board supporting the component to be cooled and / or the component to be cooled. This can further improve the protective effect of the component to be cooled.

[0028] Conveniently, the component to be cooled may be at least one printed circuit board and / or a printed circuit board (PCB) and / or a microcontroller and / or a processor and / or a chip and / or an integrated circuit (IC) and / or a semiconductor component and / or a circuit carrier and / or a battery and / or other electronic component components.

[0029] The housing can, in practical terms, be a housing for a control device or a sensor for environmental detection. In particular, the present invention also encompasses a control unit or a control device or even a sensor, wherein a cooling arrangement according to the invention is provided for cooling the component to be cooled.

[0030] In the same way as for cooling a component to be cooled, the invention can of course also be used for tempering or heating a component to be heated.

[0031] Furthermore, the present invention comprises a method for producing a cooling arrangement, wherein the following method steps are carried out (which do not necessarily have to be carried out in the specified order):

[0032] - Providing (I) a housing, in particular a housing of a control device, which has a recess, or if it has no recess, optionally producing (II) a recess,

[0033] - Installation (III) of the component to be cooled in the control unit housing,

[0034] - applying (IV) a tolerance compensation material, in particular a hardening one, to fix the heat sink to the housing of the control device or to the edge of the recess,

[0035] - Inserting (VI) the heat sink into the recess and aligning the heat sink with the position of the component to be cooled, and preferably curing the tolerance compensation material to secure the heat sink. The manufacturing method according to the invention can expediently further comprise the process step of applying (V) a TIM to the component to be cooled, whereby this process step should practically take place before inserting (VI) the heat sink into the recess. The TIM used here can preferably be applied in pasty, liquid, or as a thin pad.

[0036] The individual process steps do not necessarily have to be performed in the specified order. For example, the application (III) of the tolerance compensation material can also take place after the assembly (IV) of the components to be cooled in the housing of the control device. Furthermore, the present invention naturally also encompasses design variants in which the housing has a plurality of recesses and a plurality of first thermal components or heat sinks for cooling multiple components.

[0037] The invention advantageously achieves that the main heat generator or the component to be cooled and its neighboring components (other components, such as memories, transistors, batteries or the like) are thermally decoupled, since they are not connected to the heat sink or the first thermal component and the heat sink is only thermally coupled to the housing to a small extent.

[0038] The invention further discloses a heat sink for a cooling arrangement according to the invention or for a control device according to the invention, wherein the heat sink is made of an aluminum-copper composite material and by means of a forming process, in particular by means of extrusion. In a practical way, the composite material can combine the advantages of aluminum and copper in one component, which, surprisingly, can be produced easily by a forming process. For example, a heat sink can be created for liquid cooling which has copper or a copper alloy towards the cooling component, since copper has excellent thermal conduction properties, and has aluminum or an aluminum alloy towards the fluid cooling, since aluminum has good robustness with respect to the respective fluid and also also good thermal conduction properties. This can significantly improve cooling.

[0039] Description of the invention based on exemplary embodiments

[0040] In the following, the invention is explained using appropriate

[0041] The following examples are explained in more detail. They show:

[0042] Fig. 1: a simplified schematic representation of an embodiment of a vehicle with a control device according to the invention;

[0043] Fig. 2: a simplified representation of a control device according to the prior art;

[0044] Fig. 3: a simplified representation of an embodiment of a control device according to the invention;

[0045] Fig. 4: a simplified representation of a further embodiment of the control device according to the invention;

[0046] Fig. 5a-5h: a simplified representation of embodiment examples of a heat sink according to the invention;

[0047] Fig. 6a-6f: a simplified representation of design examples of the transition between the heat sink and the control device housing;

[0048] Fig. 7: a simplified representation of a further embodiment of the control device according to the invention;

[0049] Fig. 8: a simplified representation of a further embodiment of the control device according to the invention; Fig. 9: a simplified representation of a further embodiment of the control device according to the invention;

[0050] Fig. 10a-c: a simplified representation of embodiment examples of heat sinks according to the invention, as well as

[0051] Fig. 11: a simplified representation of an embodiment of the manufacturing method of a control device according to the invention.

[0052] Reference numeral 1 in Fig. 1 denotes a vehicle with various actuators (steering 3, engine 4, brake 5), which has a control device 2 according to the invention (ECU, Electronic Control Unit or ADCU, Assisted and Automated Driving Control Unit), by means of which a (partially) automated control of the vehicle 1 can take place, e.g. by the control device 2 being able to access the actuators of the vehicle 1. In addition, the control device 2 has a memory unit, for example to store an algorithm, control instructions or patterns. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 has sensors for detecting the environment: a radar sensor 6, a lidar sensor 7 and a front camera 8 as well as several ultrasonic sensors 9a-9d, the sensor data from which are used for environment and object detection, so that various assistance functions, such as emergency braking assistant (EBA, Electronic Brake Assist), distance control (ACC, Adaptive Cruise Control), lane keeping control orA lane keeping assistant (LKA), parking assistant, or the like, can be implemented. The assistance functions are executed, for example, via the control device 2 or the algorithm stored therein. The cooling arrangement according to the invention can, in principle, be implemented in any of the sensors or control units or in the control device 2.

[0053] Fig. 2 shows a control device 200 according to the prior art. The control device 200 comprises a control unit housing 201 with an integrated heat sink 202 and cooling fins 203 on the top side of the control device housing 201. The heat sink 202 serves to dissipate the resulting power loss in the form of heat from a processor device 205 arranged on a circuit board 204 by conducting the heat via the heat sink 202 to the cooling fins 203, wherein the cooling fins 203 are cooled by an air flow. The processor device 205 comprises an LID or processor housing 206 and a substrate 207 on which the actual processor 208 and possible additional components are arranged using solder balls or solder material or solder 209. Between the processor housing 206 and the processor 208 there is also a few 100 micrometers thick layer of TIM 210 (Thermal Interface Material; e.g.Thermal paste) is arranged so that the heat of the processor 208 can be dissipated via the thermal paste and the processor housing 206. The substrate 207 of the processor device 205 is applied to the circuit board 204 via solder balls or solder 211.

[0054] Furthermore, a layer of tolerance-compensating TIM 212 with a thickness of a few micrometers to a few millimeters is applied to the processor housing 206; in particular, the TIM layer is 10 pm-5 mm, preferably 20 pm-2 mm, preferably 30 pm-1 mm, preferably 40 pm-750 pm, and particularly preferably 50 pm-500 pm thick. The TIM layers have a significantly poorer thermal conductivity than the housing 201, which is made of aluminum and copper, for example. Accordingly, a temperature drop of several degrees Celsius occurs across the TIM. Such temperature drops result in an enormous reduction in performance. For example, the core of the processor 208 may not reach a maximum of 125°C, i.e., it may only reach 110°C at full load, for example, if it is arranged on the processor housing 206, since the temperature drop at the TIM 210 in the processor housing 206 already entails these losses.If a few more degrees are lost at the TIM 212 layer between the processor housing 206 and the control unit housing 201, the control unit housing 201 must be kept several degrees Celsius (e.g., 15°C) below 110°C (e.g., with a 15°C temperature drop to 95°C on the housing). Furthermore, the housing material also has a significant thermal resistance to the cooling medium (air or liquid), which can be as high as 15°C, for example. This means that, for example, at a maximum temperature of 125°C on the silicon of the processor 208, a maximum of 80°C is likely to prevail at the transition to the cooling medium. Any additional adverse temperature drops and non-linear effects are not yet taken into account.

[0055] Fig. 3 shows an embodiment of a control device 2 according to the invention, which comprises a control device housing 10 with a cover 10a. The first thermal component or the heat sink 12 is arranged in a recess 11 in the control device housing 10 and serves to dissipate the power loss in the form of heat from a processor device 15 arranged on a printed circuit board 14. The printed circuit board 14 can also carry further components, such as SMD modules, RAM modules, EEPROMs, memories, capacitors, semiconductor components and the like (not shown in the figures for the sake of clarity), which either also require cooling or do not require cooling.

[0056] The recess 11 is slightly larger than the dimensions of the heat sink 12 and is located in the area or in line with the component to be cooled or the processor device 15, so that the heat sink 12 can be inserted with sufficient distance from the edge of the recess 11. The recess 11 preferably has an edge on which a part of the heat sink 12 is arranged at a distance, wherein a hardening tolerance compensation material 13, e.g., an adhesive, a paste, or another fixing medium, is applied to fix the heat sink 12 to the housing of the control device 2 or to the edge of the recess. During assembly or production, the tolerance compensation material 13 is applied in a liquid / pasty state to the edge of the recess 11 or to a collar of the heat sink 12, and the heat sink 12 is then inserted or inserted / mounted into the recess 11.The assembly is carried out in such a way that the fixing of the heat sink 12 only takes place after the material has hardened or dried.

[0057] Tolerance compensation material 13 is applied. In practical terms, the heat sink 12 is then embedded in the tolerance compensation material in the recess 11, whereby mechanical forces applied to the heat sink 12, e.g. due to impacts, are transferred via the edge of the recess 11 and the solid tolerance compensation material 13 to the control device housing 10 and not to the comparatively sensitive processor device 15, thereby providing particular protection against mechanical influences. The tolerance compensation material 13 can also act as a seal against dirt and liquids. The tolerance compensation and setting medium (usually adhesive) thus supports the heat sink 12, so that forces acting on the heat sink 12 after curing are mechanically absorbed by the control device housing 10, thus protecting the component to be cooled from harmful effects (deformation / effect of force) due to mechanical stress or force application.The curing adhesive (tolerance compensation material 13) can, particularly if thermal insulation from other housing parts is desired, leave a wider gap between the heat sink 12 and the housing and / or be selected from a material with poor thermal conductivity when filling it in order to reduce heat transfer.

[0058] During the insertion of the heat sink 12, for example, a previously applied TIM layer 22 on the component to be cooled or the processor device 15 is largely displaced, so that it is now very thin or no longer present. In particular, the TIM layer 22 in Fig. 3, as well as the TIM layers in the following figures, is explicitly not drawn to scale, since the TIM layers are shown considerably thicker for the sake of clarity. The heat sink 12 is preferably made of metallic material, in particular aluminum or copper or alloys thereof. A preferred method of manufacturing the heat sink 12 here can be extrusion, which allows the use of components with good thermal conductivity. The processor device 15 also comprises an LID or

[0059] Processor housing 16 and a substrate 17, on which the actual processor 18, or chip or IC component, is arranged using solder balls or solder material or solder 19. A layer of TIM 20 (Thermal Interface Material; e.g., thermal paste) is also arranged between the processor housing 16 and the processor 18, so that the heat of the processor 18 can be dissipated via the thermal paste and the processor housing 16. The substrate 17 of the processor device 15 is applied to the circuit board 14 via solder balls or solder 21. Alternatively, this connection could also be made via an adhesive bond or another fastening method known from the prior art. Other components of the process, such as an underfill or corner bond, can additionally be present in control units for robustness reasons, according to known standards.The circuit board 14 is, for example, fixed or clamped between the control device housing 10 and a base or cover 10b, or otherwise fastened to the housing, wherein the cover 10b can also seal the control device 2, for example, in a dust- and water-tight manner.

[0060] In Fig. 3, the second thermal component is not a conventional, solid, metallic heat sink, e.g. with cooling fins as in Fig. 2, which are generally attached to the components to be cooled with small distances or gaps, usually with the help of thermal paste, in order to represent a thermal connection to a body through which cooling fluid flows. Reference numeral 23 denotes a flexible, fluid-flowing cooling pad or a fluid-flowing second thermal component, which "snuggles" against the components to be cooled, i.e. here against the heat sink 12 and also against the control device housing 10. The cooling pad 23 is arranged between the control device housing 10 and an optionally provided cover (also holder or other) 10a. The cooling pad 23 can also absorb greater pressures (due to the outward support) but in particular due to the support on both sides and can thus nestle against the material of the outer casing.The cooling pad 23 comprises a heat sink which is at least partially made of flexible material, foil or composite foil. In practice, the flexible material can be metal foil, such as aluminum foil or copper foil, which preferably forms a laminate with a thin plastic foil, or plastic foil which, for example, is coated / vapor-deposited with aluminum or can be an anodized aluminum foil. Furthermore, one or both sides of the aluminum foil can also be plastic coated. In addition, so-called drypack foils (antistatic, water vapor-tight and flexible barrier layer foils for electronic components) can be provided as a flexible material, or combinations of the materials mentioned. If a metal foil, in particular an aluminum foil, is used, a very thin plastic coating or an anodized or anodized coating can, if necessary, create aThe necessary electrical insulation and corrosion resistance must be ensured. Furthermore, at least one fluid channel 23a is provided for the inflow and outflow of fluid (coolant, air, water, or the like).

[0061] Fig. 4 shows an inventive embodiment of the control device 2, in which the processor device 15 does not have a processor housing. In this case, the cooling device can contact the processor 18 directly or via a thin layer of TIM 20. The processor housing is also not necessary here, since it is intended to protect the processor 18 from mechanical influences, which is achieved according to Fig. 4 by the cooling arrangement according to the invention, since the forces acting on the heat sink 12 are transferred to the control device housing 10 via the tolerance compensation material 13. As additional protection of the processor 18 against mechanical influences, hardening tolerance compensation material 24 can also be provided between the heat sink 12 and substrate 17 and / or between the heat sink 12 and the printed circuit board 14, and transferred to the control device housing 10.This design variant significantly reduces the thickness of the TIM layers, allowing for particularly effective heat transfer. Furthermore, this design variant ensures effective protection of the processor 18 without the need for an additional processor housing.

[0062] The heat sink 12 can expediently be designed in such a way that heat is partially connected to adjacent housing parts only via narrow adhesive webs or free air gaps. In order to transfer little heat there, adjacent components, such as memory components (RAM, FLASH, oscillator), can be thermally connected via TIM to areas of the housing which are significantly cooler than areas that are under the direct heat influence of the power semiconductor or the performance GPU / MCU.

[0063] Figs. 5a-5h show design variants of the first thermal component or of the heat sink 12, each showing a top view of the side facing the component to be cooled or the processor device 15, as well as the associated side views. The heat sinks 12a-12d in Figs. 5a-5d have a collar 25, wherein the tolerance compensation material 13 can be arranged on the collar 25, wherein the collar 25 can then be fitted into a counterpart of the recess 11. Figs. 5e-5f each show rhombohedral heat sinks 12e, 12f, which can be fitted into the recess 11 due to their tapered profile, wherein here too the tolerance compensation material 13 is located on an edge of the recess 11.

[0064] Another embodiment of the heat sink is shown in Fig. 5g and Fig. 5h, in which one side of the heat sink 12g, 12h is equipped with continuous cooling fins 26a or individual cooling nubs 26b, comparable to the structure of an air-cooled housing. A liquid or gaseous fluid can flow around the outward-facing side of the heat sink 12g, 12h. In the case of liquid cooling, the heat sink 12g, 12h should then be glued in a liquid-tight manner. Furthermore, a tight cover can be provided above the fins to seal the device from the outside.

[0065] Fig. 6a-6f show various design variants of the transition between the heat sink 12 and the control device housing 10. Fig. 6a shows a height offset between the heat sink 12 and the control device housing 10. A gap can also be clearly seen here, which may exist between the heat sink 12 or 12a and the control device housing 10 or the edge of the recess 11. This allows installation aligned with / in contact with the component 15 to be cooled and can also have an advantageous effect on thermal decoupling from the control device housing 10. Furthermore, tolerance compensation material 13 can be located in the gap, since this is possibly pressed into the gap by the assembly of the heat sink 12 (as shown in Fig. 6a-6f / this can also be the case in the other figures - however, this has not been shown for the sake of clarity). Instead of on the heat sink 12 or on the control device housing 10, this can, for example,pasty tolerance compensation material 13 can also be dispensed directly into the gap in the area between the recess 11 and the heat sink 12 after the heat sink 12 has been positioned. Furthermore, the cooling pad 23 can be provided as a second thermal component (as shown in Fig. 6b), which, due to its flexible properties, conforms to the control device housing 10 and the heat sink 12, so that no further compensation material is necessary. According to an embodiment not shown in the figures, the heat sink 12 could also have a projection (i.e. in contrast to the embodiment shown in Fig. 6a) in relation to the control device housing 10 (i.e. the heat sink 12 could protrude beyond the control device housing 10), which projection is, as it were, compensated for by a cooling pad 23. Fig. 6c shows a design variant in which the heat sink 12 and the control device housing 10 form a nearly planar or level surface.In the same way, a cooling pad 23 can also be provided here as the second thermal component, as shown in Figure 6d. Fig. 6e shows a design variant in which a heat sink 12h is provided which has cooling fins 26a on the upper side. The heat sink 12h can dissipate heat via these cooling fins, as these increase the surface area of ​​the heat sink 12h. An air or fluid flow can be used for cooling. The cooling fins or nubs can be made much more delicate and also from a material with better thermal conductivity than is possible with conventional housings. Furthermore, a cover 10a can also be provided which, as shown in Fig. 6f, is arranged above the control device housing 10 and the heat sink 12h, wherein cooling channels are formed between the cover 10a and the surface with cooling fins of the heat sink 12h, whereby cooling fluid (e.g. air or coolant) is conducted orcan be promoted so that the heat can be effectively dissipated from the heat sink for 12 hours.

[0066] Fig. 7 shows an embodiment of the control device 2 in which a passive cooling block 27 with cooling fins 27a is provided as the second thermal component, which is air-cooled, e.g., via a fan, by natural convection, or via an air flow. The cooling block 27 is also made of copper or aluminum, for example, which means it has a better thermal conductivity than the rest of the control device housing 10, if the latter is made of a less conductive aluminum alloy or plastic, for example. Furthermore, the shape of the cooling block 27 creates a larger surface area on the outside thanks to the air-guiding cooling fins 27a (larger than the surface area on the component to be cooled). Height tolerances in relation to the control device housing 10 are generally uncritical in such air systems, whereby the embodiment according to Fig.Fig. 7 shows that the heat sink 12 and the control device housing 10 form a substantially planar surface on which the cooling block 27 is arranged. Furthermore, the heat sink 12 and the control device housing 10 do not form a smooth or planar surface, i.e., the heat sink 12 either protrudes beyond the control device housing 10 or, as shown in Fig. 7, the control device housing 10 protrudes beyond the heat sink 12. An additional layer of TIM 28 can be provided to compensate for any height differences, which layer is in particular larger / more voluminous than the TIM 20 layer, but nevertheless has a low thermal resistance.

[0067] Fig. 8 shows an embodiment in which the control device housing 10 has cooling fins 10c (or alternatively cooling nubs) as an additional cooling function. Furthermore, a heat sink 12h with cooling fins 26a (or alternatively cooling nubs) is provided as the first thermal component. For example, an air flow can be provided that flows along the cooling fins 10c, 26a (or cooling nubs) to cool them. The air flow can be generated actively, e.g., by a fan, or passively. Furthermore, it can also be provided to cover the cooling fins 10c, 26a (or cooling nubs) with the cover 10a, so that a fluid channel system or fluid channels are formed between the cooling fins 10c, 26a (or cooling nubs), through which fluid is conveyed either actively or passively.For example, a liquid-cooled system can also be realized by sealing these fluid channels in a fluid-tight manner and connecting them to a fluid circuit via an inlet and outlet.

[0068] Fig. 9 shows a further embodiment of a control device 2 according to the invention, in which other semiconductor components 30a, 30b on the circuit board 14 are contacted via cooling units 29a, 29b in order to cool them. Between the cooling units 29a, 29b and the semiconductor components 30a, 30b, comparatively thick TIM layers 31a, 31b are arranged (according to the conventional design). Furthermore, the control device housing 10 has a substantially flat surface with a slight height offset (tolerance compensation for close contact with the heat hotspot component) between the heat sink 12 and the control device housing 10, which is compensated for by the elasticity of a fluid-permeated bag or cooling pad 23, which is fluid-permeated and conforms to the control device housing 10 and the heat sink 12 without a significant gap, thus dissipating the heat.The fluid flow direction in the cooling pad 23 either flows in a meandering fashion or essentially perpendicular to the cross-sectional direction of the figure (i.e., not from left to right or vice versa, in order to ensure thermal decoupling of the heat sink 12 and the cooling units 29a, 29b). This configuration allows the thermal decoupling of the component to be cooled, i.e., the processor device 15, and the other semiconductor components 30a, 30b, to be realized or improved in a particularly simple manner.

[0069] 10a and 10b show embodiments of a heat sink 120a or 120b according to the invention, which can be used for a cooling arrangement according to the invention or for a control device 2 according to the invention. The heat sink 120a or 121b is made of an aluminum-copper composite material and by means of a forming process, in particular extrusion, and has cooling nubs 121a or 121b. The heat sink 120a and the heat sink 120b have copper 121a or 122b or a copper alloy towards the component to be cooled, since copper has excellent thermal conduction properties, and aluminum 122a or 122b or an aluminum alloy towards the fluid cooling, since aluminum often has good robustness and also good thermal conduction properties with regard to the respective fluid cooling system.The heat sinks 120a and 120b differ essentially in that, in heat sink 120a, the copper layer 121a is embedded in or enclosed by the aluminum layer 122a, while in heat sink 120b, a type of layer package is formed from the copper layer 121b and the aluminum layer 122b. Figs. 10a / 10b each show specific configurations with cooling nubs 123a, 123b (which are also made of aluminum or an alloy thereof). However, the heat sink could preferably have any shape, such as a collar 124a (as shown in Fig. 10a), a rhombohedral / trapezoidal cross-section (as shown in Fig. 10b), or cooling fins (as shown by way of example in Figs. 5h, 6e / f). Fig. 10c shows an example of a heat sink 120c with a collar 124c. The collar 124c can be formed in a simple manner by, starting from a type of design according to Fig.10a, the embedded copper layer 121a protrudes from the aluminum layer 122a or, based on a type of configuration according to Fig. 10b, the surface area of ​​the copper layer 121b is selected to be smaller than the surface area of ​​the aluminum layer 122b, whereby the copper layer 121c thereby projects beyond the aluminum layer 122c. For the production of the heat sink 120a, 120b, 120c, extrusion is particularly well suited because the shaped sections of copper 121a, 121b, 121c and aluminum 122a, 122b, 122c can be particularly well connected to one another here. Extrusion belongs to the forming processes or bulk forming, which can be carried out through a single-stage or multi-stage manufacturing process.

[0070] Fig. 11 shows an embodiment of the step-by-step assembly of a cooling assembly during production or an embodiment of a method for producing a cooling assembly according to the invention. The method comprises the following steps:

[0071] Providing (I) a housing, in particular the control device 2 (control device housing 10) with a recess 11 which essentially corresponds to the dimensions of the heat sink 12 and is located in the region or alignment of the component to be cooled or providing (I) a control device housing 10, in particular a control device 2, and producing a recess 11;

[0072] Mounting (III) the component to be cooled in the control device housing 10, e.g., by arranging, for example, positioning, fastening, or inserting the printed circuit board 14 with a processor device 15 (or IC component / processor 18) to be cooled thereon in the control device housing 10 (in Fig. 11, the printed circuit board 14 is clamped between the control device housing 10 and the cover 10b); applying (IV) a hardening tolerance compensation material 13 (e.g., an adhesive or paste) to fix the heat sink 12 to the control device housing 10 or to the edge of the recess 11; expediently, applying (V) a pasty or liquid TIM 22 or a thin TIM pad to the power component or component to be cooled, and

[0073] Inserting (VI) the heat sink 12 (or heat spreader or cooling block), which is preferably made of aluminum or copper or an alloy or a composite material thereof, into the recess 11 in such a way that the TIM 22 on the component to be cooled is largely displaced and the heat sink 12 is only fixed in place by curing the tolerance compensation material 13 (or the adhesive or another “fixing medium”).

[0074] In summary, the invention shows several solution components whereby one or more TIM layer thicknesses can be reduced to a particularly high degree or optionally even omitted. This reduces the thermal resistance. Furthermore, according to some embodiments, the thermal coupling of the main heat generator(s) (e.g. the high-performance processor) to other components (e.g. the memory modules) can be reduced. Furthermore, the invention can significantly increase the transfer area of ​​the thermal hotspot in the direction of the heat-dissipating medium. The novel concept is suitable for special liquid cooling systems but also for specially designed air cooling systems. Furthermore, the invention discloses how, with a minimal distance between the cooling element (i.e. the heat spreader or heat sink) and the component to be cooled (component to be cooled) orthe TIM layer on it, the mechanical support is provided on the solid housing part and not on the generally mechanically sensitive component to be cooled. Of course, the cooling device can also be used to heat a component to be heated (as a heating device, so to speak) by filling it with a medium which transfers heat to a component to be heated. For this purpose, the cooling device can be easily connected to a heating circuit via the connections in order to be supplied with heating medium, which then flows through the cooling device or heating device. For example, the rack according to the invention or the cooling arrangement according to the invention could also be used to heat one or more assemblies, in particular in the automotive sector.

[0075] List of reference symbols

[0076] 1 vehicle

[0077] 2 Control device

[0078] 3 Steering

[0079] 4 Engine

[0080] 5 Brake

[0081] 6 radar sensor

[0082] 7 Lidar sensor

[0083] 8 front camera

[0084] 9a-9d Ultrasonic sensor

[0085] 10 control unit housing

[0086] 10a lid

[0087] 10b Lid

[0088] 11 Recess

[0089] 12, 12a-12h heat sink

[0090] 13 Tolerance compensation material

[0091] 14 circuit board

[0092] 15 Processor device

[0093] 16 processor housings

[0094] 17 Substrat

[0095] 18 processor

[0096] 19 lots

[0097] 20 TIM

[0098] 21 lots

[0099] 22 TIM

[0100] 23 Cooling pad

[0101] 23a Fluid channel

[0102] 24 Tolerance compensation material

[0103] 25 collars

[0104] 26a Cooling fins

[0105] 26b Cooling nubs Cooling block a Cooling fins

[0106] TIM a, 29b Cooling unit a, 30b Semiconductor component a, 31 b TIM layer 0a, 120b, 120c Heat sink 1a, 121b, 121c Copper 2a, 122b, 122c Aluminum 3a, 123b, 123c Cooling nubs 4a, 124c Collar 0 Controller 1 Controller housing 2 Heat sink 3 Cooling fins 4 Printed circuit board 5 Processor device 6 Processor housing 7 Substrate 8 Processor 9 Solder 0 TIM 1 Solder 2 TIM

Claims

Patent claims 1. Cooling arrangement comprising a housing, in particular a control device housing (10) or a sensor housing, a component to be cooled which is arranged in the housing, a first thermal component which is arranged on the component to be cooled, and the housing having a recess (11) into which the first thermal component is inserted, such that the first thermal component is mechanically aligned with and thermally coupled to the component to be cooled, and a tolerance compensation material (13) is provided between the first thermal component and the housing.

2. Cooling arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the tolerance compensation material (13) is a hardening material.

3. Cooling arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a second thermal component is provided which is arranged on the housing and / or on the first thermal component.

4. Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a TIM (28) is arranged between the first and second thermal components and / or a TIM (22) is arranged between the first thermal component and the component to be cooled.

5. Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heat sink (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 120a, 120c) is provided as the first thermal component, which has a collar (25, 124a, 124c) and the tolerance compensation material (13) is arranged on the collar (25, 124a, 124c).

6. Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heat sink (12e, 12f, 120b) is provided as the first thermal component, which has a trapezoidal or rhombohedral cross-section.

7. Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heat sink (12g, 12h, 120a, 120b, 120c) is provided as the first thermal component, which has cooling fins (26a) or cooling studs (26b, 123a, 123b, 123c).

8. Cooling arrangement according to one of claims 3-7, characterized in that the second thermal component comprises a heat pipe or a fluid cooling system, in particular a water cooling system with fluid channels or an air cooling system with cooling fins (27a) or a fluid plate with fluid channels.

9. Cooling arrangement according to one of claims 3-7, characterized in that the second thermal component is an elastic bellows or a cooling pad (23) which is at least partially made of flexible material, so that the second thermal component or a flexible part of the second thermal component conforms to the first thermal component.

10. Cooling arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that the flexible material provided is metal foil, in particular aluminium foil or copper foil, and / or plastic foil and / or a laminate and / or a composite foil, which in particular comprises a metal foil and a plastic foil.

11. Cooling arrangement according to one of claims 3-10, characterized in that the second thermal component is filled with a cooling medium or is permeated with a cooling medium and the cooling medium is a fluid, in particular water, glycol, a water-glycol mixture, air, CO2 or the like.

12. Cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that tolerance compensation material (24) is further provided which compensates for tolerances and is arranged between the first thermal component and the second thermal component and / or a printed circuit board (14) which carries the component to be cooled and / or the component to be cooled.

13. Control device (2) comprising a cooling arrangement according to one of the preceding claims.

14. Method for manufacturing a cooling arrangement, in particular a cooling arrangement according to any one of claims 1-12, wherein the following method steps are carried out: Providing (I) an enclosure, in particular a control equipment enclosure (10), with a cutout (11) or optionally making (II) a cutout (11), Applying (III) a hardening tolerance compensation material (13) to fix the heat sink (12) to the housing or to the edge of the recess. (11) Mounting (IV) the component to be cooled in the housing of the control unit (2), Insertion (VI) of the heat sink into the recess, and curing of the tolerance compensation material to secure the heat sink.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the method step Applying (V) a TIM to the component to be cooled.

16. Heat sink (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 120a, 120b, 120c) for a cooling arrangement according to one of claims 1-12, characterized in that the heat sink (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 120a, 120b, 120c) is made of a aluminium-copper composite material and is manufactured by means of a forming process, in particular extrusion, and has a collar or a rhombohedral / trapezoidal cross-section.

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