Cooling system arrangement, control means, heat sink and method for manufacturing the same

Abstract

A housing (2), in particular a housing of a control means (1) or a sensor, A component to be cooled arranged within the housing (2) of the cooling arrangement, A first thermal component arranged in contact with the component to be cooled and including, the housing (2) having a notch (4) into which the first thermal component is inserted such that the first thermal component is mechanically aligned and thermally connected to the component to be cooled, and a tolerance-correcting material being provided between the first thermal component and the housing (2). A cooling arrangement.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention particularly relates to a new cooling system arrangement for a sensor system or a control means, a corresponding control means provided with the cooling system arrangement according to the present invention, a heat sink for the cooling system arrangement according to the present invention, and a method for manufacturing the cooling system arrangement according to the present invention.

Background Art

[0002] Latest means of transportation, such as motor vehicles and motorcycles, are increasingly equipped with driver assistance systems that capture the surroundings with the help of an appropriate sensor system, recognize the traffic situation, and support the driver, for example, by braking intervention or steering intervention, or by optical or auditory warnings. As a sensor system for capturing the surroundings, a radar sensor, a lidar sensor, a camera sensor, etc. are usually used. Subsequently, inductive reasoning regarding the surroundings can be attempted from the sensor data detected by the sensors, whereby, for example, object class classification, and / or surrounding class classification, or even a surrounding model can be created. In addition, since surrounding capture is almost indispensable in the field of (partial) autonomous driving, continuous development and improvement of the system are particularly expected. For the control of actuators (brakes, engines / motors, transmissions, etc.) and / or sensors, and for the calculation and control of driving functions and assistant functions, an electronic control unit (ECU), or a control means is usually employed.

[0003] One important aspect in an electronic control device is heat removal. The heat to be removed from the electronic control device is conducted to the outside, for example, by a housing with excellent thermal conductivity of the control device, such as a metal housing. Especially when the power loss is high, there is a problem that heat dissipation must be as efficient as possible on the surface of the housing or at least on one side, for example, to protect the internal components from overheating. There are various forms of cooling, and examples include an air-cooling method with heat dissipation fins or protrusions as needed, a closed coolant circulation system connected to the housing of the control device and flowing inside or on the surface of the housing wall, and the like.

[0004] Electronic control devices in this field, especially high-performance computer systems that are increasingly used in modern vehicles and aircraft, need to function in an environment where the ambient temperature and the temperature of the cooling medium are, for example, from -40°C to 65°C or higher. On the other hand, some electronic components inside the control device, especially data storage elements such as RAM (Random Access Memory), flash memory, or EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), are often strictly limited from the perspective of the upper limit temperature. In addition, especially as the data transfer speed is increasing more and more, and voltage drops and fluctuations must be avoided. However, in many cases, high-speed data storage elements can only obtain the required high writing and reading speeds, or even communication speeds, by being arranged near a high-performance processor. Therefore, it is reasonable for these elements to be arranged near the microprocessor or high-performance processors (especially CPUs, GPUs, switches, ICs, etc.) that control them. However, these high-performance processors usually generate significant waste heat that has the potential to significantly heat components that are very sensitive to the heat around the high-performance processor in general applications at that time. Therefore, this heat must be efficiently discharged. That is, especially as the loss output of these high-performance processors increases, adjacent components will receive an increasingly strong thermal load. Therefore, in order to efficiently discharge heat from the heat source and adjacent more sensitive components, the cooling system has to become more complicated.

[0005] In the prior art, heat sinks are attached to high-performance processors and surrounding components to cool them down to the allowable temperature. As one of the methods of dissipating heat from thermal hot spots, there is a so-called "heat pipe" or heat tube that enables a high heat flux density by utilizing the evaporation enthalpy of a medium, and thus enables efficient heat dissipation.

[0006] Heat dissipation from a high-performance processor core is often carried out through the metal processor housing (LID) of the processor that also protects the processor core from mechanical damage, and an internal thermal interface material (TIM) applied between the chip (core) and the LID to correct tolerances. The processor housing (LID) or chip housing (or package) refers to the exterior of a semiconductor chip or "die" or "IC (Integrated Circuit / Integrated Circuit) block" including connection terminals (pins, balls or leads). When the cooling means is connected to a common control device housing, the metal processor housing is connected to a metal housing (usually an aluminum housing) via another "thermal interface material" (TIM) (paste, adhesive or thermal conduction mat) that corrects additional tolerances. The aluminum housing is provided with, for example, heat dissipation fins or channels for liquid cooling that can transfer heat outside. In this case, these materials usually have a significantly lower thermal conductivity compared to materials frequently used for housings such as aluminum and copper, and a relatively thick TIM layer may work disadvantageously, but in order to correct tolerances, it is necessary to bridge a thickness ranging from several hundred micrometers to several millimeters. Correspondingly, a temperature drop occurs through the TIM (usually on the order of several degrees Celsius). Furthermore, in the processor housing as well - depending on the thickness, type, and compression of the material - a temperature drop also occurs on the order of several degrees Celsius. Such a temperature drop causes significant performance limitations.

[0007] Therefore, there is a strong demand for solutions to reduce the temperature drop due to the values determined by the material constants. In this regard, several structural solutions are known to realize the thinnest possible TIM layer through the tolerance chain and / or to reduce the thermal resistance by expanding the heat transfer area as much as possible. However, this has the drawback that adjacent components with low self-heating are heated more strongly due to the temperature rise in the vicinity of the processor or in the processor housing.

[0008] From Patent Document DE 11 2007 002 317 T5, various TIM materials are known. Furthermore, the Patent Document DE 11 2007 002 317 T5 also addresses the problem that an integrated circuit device (IC device) generates a large amount of thermal energy during operation, which can have an adverse effect on performance and can cause damage through various mechanisms if not properly dissipated. Here, an arrangement (IC arrangement) is disclosed that includes a first thermal component (or a passive cooling arrangement) arranged adjacent to the IC arrangement and a TIM arranged between the IC arrangement and the first thermal component, each being thermally coupled to the IC device and the first thermal component. Furthermore, a second thermal component thermally coupled to the first thermal component is provided. Here, 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.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0009]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0010] The object of the present invention is to provide a cooling arrangement in the relevant field that can achieve good heat dissipation between a thermal component (or heat sink, cooling element) and a component to be cooled (or a component to be cooled), and overcome the drawbacks caused by the prior art in a simple, space-saving, and cost-effective manner.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0011] The above problems are solved by the comprehensive teachings of claim 1 and other claims. Embodiments suitable for the object of the present invention are claimed in the dependent claims.

[0012] The cooling arrangement of the present invention includes a housing, which is particularly a control means housing or a sensor case, a component to be cooled arranged within the housing of the cooling arrangement or the control means housing, and a first thermal component arranged in contact with the component to be cooled. Further, the housing has a notch into which the first thermal component is inserted, so that the first thermal component and the component to be cooled are thermally coupled, particularly preferably without a large gap, and are mechanically aligned with each other. According to the present invention, a tolerance correction material for fixing the first thermal component (or heat sink) is provided between the first thermal component and the housing. With the cooling arrangement according to the present invention, the thickness of the TIM layer consisting of one or more layers and / or the number of TIM layers can be reduced from the perspective that the heat conduction from the component to be cooled to the first thermal component or heat sink is significantly improved. Surprisingly, it has been shown that with this new cooling arrangement, it is sufficient, or rather unnecessary, to apply a very thin TIM layer.

[0013] According to a particularly preferred embodiment of the cooling arrangement according to the present invention, the material for tolerance correction (especially the fixing material) is particularly preferably solidified after installation or even during installation, and preferably is not compressed or is only slightly compressed, for example, materials such as adhesives, resins, and epoxies. The material for tolerance correction is preferably applied, in a liquid state or a paste state, to the edge of the notch of the housing or to the first thermal component to the heat sink (or its collar). At this time, the first thermal component is fixed for the first time by the curing of the material for tolerance correction within the notch. In addition, the material for tolerance correction then forms a stable connection between the first thermal component to the heat sink and the housing, so that the force acting on the first thermal component to the heat sink is transmitted to the housing and thus is not transmitted to the relatively sensitive component to be cooled or the processor device. Thereby, the component to be cooled can be highly protected from the influence of physical forces generated during impacts, drops, etc.

[0014] Furthermore, in order to exhaust heat from the first thermal component, it is also possible to provide a housing and / or a second thermal component arranged in contact with the first thermal component. Thereby, heat control or cooling can be carried out more efficiently. According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is also possible to arrange a TIM or a TIM layer between the first and second thermal components and / or between the first thermal component and the component to be cooled.

[0015] Furthermore, the first thermal component is preferably a heat sink or a "heat spreader" made of copper and / or aluminum and / or their alloys. According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the heat sink is made of an aluminum-copper composite material and is preferably manufactured, for example, as a so-called extruded product. Aluminum can be very readily adopted (for example, it is very compatible with aluminum parts used in a cooling water circuit), and copper has very excellent heat conduction characteristics. Such a form is particularly suitable because it can combine the advantages of both materials.

[0016] It is suitable for the purpose that the heat sink has a color. In that case, the tolerance correction material is arranged in contact with the color, that is, between the color of the heat sink and the edge of the notch. Thereby, the heat sink can be well fitted into the notch.

[0017] Alternatively, the heat sink itself can also have a rhombic or trapezoidal cross-sectional shape. The form variations of the heat sink are particularly suitable for notches that do not have a clearly defined edge (for example, due to unevenness or imperfect processing) because the rhombic or trapezoidal cross-sectional shape can adapt to notches of various sizes and cross-sectional shapes.

[0018] Furthermore, the heat sink can also have heat dissipation fins or heat dissipation protrusions on the upper surface, that is, on the side opposite to the component or component to be cooled.

[0019] According to a further form of the present invention, the second thermal component can include a "heat pipe" or fluid cooling, particularly preferably water cooling with fluid channels, or air cooling with heat dissipation fins, or a fluid plate with fluid channels. In addition, other passive and active cooling means known from the prior art can also be provided as the second thermal component.

[0020] Furthermore, it is preferable that the second thermal component is a bellows having flexibility, manufactured at least partially from a flexible material such that the second thermal component or a flexible portion thereof can be in close contact with the first thermal component, or a cooling pad. Since the heat sink material has flexibility, these can be in close contact with the component to be cooled, especially when expanding (e.g., filled with a fluid). At the same time, the second thermal component can be in close contact with the housing component, and due to the flexibility caused by the components, it can also be in close contact with components located at different levels (e.g., the housing and the radiator) simultaneously, so there is no need to provide TIM to fill the tolerance gap.

[0021] As the flexible material, a metal foil, especially an aluminum foil or a copper foil, and / or a plastic film, and / or a laminate, and / or, particularly preferably, a composite film including a metal foil and at least one plastic film can be provided. Since these films can be manufactured and processed simply and cost-effectively, they are suitable for the purpose. By providing a composite film or a laminate as the flexible material, the durability and stability of the heat sink can be improved in a simple manner. In addition, the heat sink can be adapted to the characteristics of each refrigerant and the surrounding conditions. Furthermore, the flexible material can also have a coating, particularly preferably an aluminum coating, to improve the characteristics from the viewpoints of stability, airtightness, deterioration, and durability. As the coating of the aluminum foil, in particular, an anodized layer (anodizing process = an aluminum oxide layer is formed on the surface of aluminum by anodic polarization of aluminum) or an electrophoretic layer (electrophoretic process = a protective oxide layer is formed on aluminum by anodic oxidation by electrolytic oxidation of aluminum) is also suitable.

[0022] In addition, the second thermal component can be filled with a refrigerant or the refrigerant can flow through it. In this case, the refrigerant is particularly preferably water, glycol, a water-glycol mixture, air, CO 2 fluids such as the like can be used.

[0023] Additionally, in order to correct tolerances, it is suitable for the purpose to use a tolerance-correcting material between the first thermal component and the second thermal component, and / or between the wiring board to which the component to be cooled is attached, and / or between the component to be cooled. Thereby, the effect of protecting the component to be cooled can be further improved.

[0024] The component to be cooled is preferably at least one wiring board and / or substrate (PCB) and / or microcontroller and / or processor and / or chip and / or integrated circuit (IC) and / or semiconductor element and / or circuit board and / or battery and / or other electronic components for the purpose.

[0025] Practically, the housing can be a housing for a sensor for detecting a control means or its periphery. The present invention particularly includes a control device, that is, a control means or a sensor, and a cooling arrangement according to the present invention for cooling the component to be cooled is provided for these.

[0026] Similar to cooling the component to be cooled, the present invention can also be used to maintain a temperature or to heat a component to be heated.

[0027] In addition, the present invention also includes a method for manufacturing a cooling arrangement, and in that case, the following method steps are carried out (however, it is not necessarily required to be carried out in the described order): - Providing a housing having a notch, particularly a housing for control means (step (I)), or, if there is no notch, optionally providing a notch (step (II)); - Mounting a component to be cooled within the housing of the control means (step (III)); - Applying, particularly preferably a curable material for tolerance correction, to fix a heat sink to the edge of the housing of the control means or its notch (step (IV)); - Inserting the heat sink into the notch and appropriately positioning the heat sink relative to the position of the component to be cooled, and preferably curing the material for tolerance correction to fix the heat sink (step (VI)).

[0028] In addition, the manufacturing method according to the present invention preferably further includes a step (V) of applying TIM to the component to be cooled. From a practical point of view, this step is preferably carried out before the step (VI) of inserting the heat sink into the notch. Here, the TIM used is preferably implemented as a paste, liquid, or thin pad.

[0029] Here, these individual method steps do not necessarily have to be carried out in the described order. For example, it is also possible to carry out the step (III) of applying the material for tolerance correction after the step (IV) of mounting the component to be cooled within the housing of the control means. Furthermore, the present invention also includes a form variation in which the housing has a plurality of notches and a plurality of first thermal components, or the heat sink is provided for cooling a plurality of components.

[0030] According to the present invention, the main heat source, the component to be cooled, and the components adjacent thereto (for example, other components such as memory, transistors, batteries, etc.) are advantageously thermally isolated because they are not connected to the heat sink or the first thermal component, and the heat sink is only thermally connected to the housing in a limited manner.

[0031] The present invention further discloses a heat sink for the cooling arrangement according to the present invention or for the control means according to the present invention. The heat sink is manufactured from an aluminum-copper composite material by a deformation processing method, in particular, by extrusion molding. By using the composite material, it is possible to practically integrate the advantages of aluminum and copper into one component, and surprisingly, this component can be easily manufactured by a deformation processing method. For example, since copper has excellent heat conduction characteristics, copper or a copper alloy is provided on the side of the component to be cooled, and since aluminum has excellent heat conduction characteristics as well as good robustness against the corresponding fluid, it is possible to configure a heat sink for a liquid cooling system provided with aluminum or an aluminum alloy on the fluid cooling side. Thereby, the cooling can be improved dramatically.

[0032] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described in more detail by means of embodiments that meet the objectives. Description of the drawings:

Brief description of the drawings

[0033]

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Figure 11

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Reference numeral 1 in FIG. 1 indicates a vehicle equipped with various actuators (steering system 3, engine / motor 4, brake 5) having a control means 2 (ECU, Electronic Control Unit or ADCU, Assisted and Automated Driving Control Unit) according to the present invention. Here, for example, the control means 2 can perform (semi) automatic control of the vehicle 1 by accessing the actuators of the vehicle 1. In addition, the control means 2 has, for example, a memory unit for storing algorithms, control commands, or patterns. Further, the vehicle 1 is equipped with sensors for performing surrounding capture in which their sensor data is used for surrounding recognition and object recognition: radar sensor 6, lidar sensor 7, front camera 8, and a plurality of ultrasonic sensors 9a-9d, and can perform various assistant functions such as an electronic brake assist (EBA), an adaptive cruise control (ACC), a lane keeping control, or a lane keep assist (LKA), and a parking assist. At that time, the implementation of the assistant function is performed, for example, by the control means 2 or an algorithm implemented therein. The cooling arrangement according to the present invention can, in principle, be implemented in any sensor or control device or control means 2.

[0035] Figure 2 shows a control means 200 according to the prior art. The control means 200 includes a control device housing 201, and a heat sink 202 and heat dissipation fins 203 are built in the upper part of the control device housing 201. The heat sink 202 serves to dissipate heat by guiding the loss power generated from the processor device 205 disposed on the wiring board 204 as heat through the heat sink 202 to the heat dissipation fins 203, and the heat dissipation fins 203 are cooled by an air flow. The processor device 205 includes a LID to processor housing 206, and a substrate 207 on which the actual processor 208 and other components are disposed using solder balls, or solder material to solder 209. In addition, a TIM 210 layer (Thermal Interface Material; for example, thermal conductive paste) having a thickness of several hundred micrometers is disposed between the processor housing 206 and the processor 208, and the heat of the processor 208 is dissipated through the thermal conductive paste and the processor housing 206. The substrate 207 of the processor device 205 is attached onto the wiring board 204 via solder balls to solder 211.

[0036] Furthermore, on the processor housing 206, a TIM 212 for correcting a tolerance of several microns to several millimeters in thickness is applied. In particular, the thickness of the TIM layer is from 10 μm to 5 mm, preferably from 20 μm to 2 mm, more preferably from 30 μm to 1 mm, still more preferably from 40 μm to 750 μm, and particularly preferably from 50 μm to 500 μm. At this time, the TIM layer has a significantly lower thermal conductivity compared to the housing 201 made of, for example, aluminum or copper. Correspondingly, a temperature drop on the order of several degrees Celsius occurs through the TIM. Such a temperature drop causes significant performance limitations. For example, the core of the processor 208 may reach up to 125 °C, that is, when arranged in the processor housing 206, since the temperature drop due to the TIM 210 in the processor housing 206 already involves such losses, it must reach only 110 °C even under full load. If a further temperature drop of several degrees occurs in the TIM 212 layer between the processor housing 206 and the control device housing 201, the control device housing 201 needs to be maintained at a temperature several degrees (for example, 15 °C) lower than 110 °C (for example, if the temperature drop is 15 °C, the housing is 95 °C). In addition, the housing material also has a significant thermal resistance, for example, reaching up to 15 °C, against the refrigerant (air or liquid). This means that when the maximum temperature in the silica of the processor 208 is, for example, 125 °C, the transfer part to the refrigerant must not exceed 80 °C. Moreover, the additional possible adverse temperature drops and non-linear effects are not yet considered here.

[0037] FIG. 3 shows an embodiment of the control means 2 including the control device housing 10 and its lid 10a according to the present invention. The first thermal component or heat sink 12 is disposed within the notch 11 of the control means housing 10 and serves to dissipate the loss power generated from the processor device 15 disposed on the wiring board 14 as heat. The wiring board 14 can also be mounted with other component components that respectively require or do not require cooling (not shown for clarity), such as SMD components, RAM components, EEPROM, memory, capacitors, semiconductor components, and the like.

[0038] The notch 11 is slightly larger than the dimensions of the heat sink 12, and the heat sink 12 can be installed at a sufficient distance from the edge of the notch 11, so that it can be arranged at the position of the component to be cooled, that is, the processor device 15, or even arranged side by side with the device. At this time, the notch 11 has an edge where a part of the heat sink 12 is spaced apart. Here, a tolerance correction material 13 that hardens, for example, an adhesive, a paste, or other fixing medium, is applied to fix the heat sink 12 to the housing of the control means 2 or the edge of the notch. During assembly or manufacturing, the tolerance correction material 13 is applied in a liquid / paste state to the edge of the notch 11 or the flange of the heat sink 12, and then the heat sink 12 is inserted or attached to the notch 11. The assembly is carried out after the heat sink 12 is fixed after the tolerance correction material 13 has solidified or dried. Practically, the heat sink 12 fits snugly within the tolerance correction material of the notch 11. When mechanical forces such as impacts are applied to the heat sink 12, these are transmitted to the control device housing 10 through the edge of the notch 11 and the solidified tolerance correction material 13 and do not reach the relatively delicate processor device 15, so the device is very preferably protected from mechanical influences. The tolerance correction material 13 also serves as a seal against dirt and moisture at this time. That is, the tolerance correction and fixing material (often an adhesive) supports the heat sink 12, and after hardening, mechanically absorbs the force acting on the cooler 12 by the control device housing 10, thereby protecting the component to be cooled from harmful effects (deformation / force action) due to mechanical loads and forces. The hardening adhesive (tolerance correction material 13) can leave a wide gap between the heat sink 12 and the housing) when thermal insulation from other housing components is desired, and / or a material with low thermal conductivity can be selected to reduce heat transfer by filling this gap.

[0039] During the insertion of the heat sink 12, for example, most of the TIM layer 22 pre-applied on the component or processor device 15 to be cooled is pushed aside, and as a result, the layer becomes very thin or even disappears completely. In particular, for the TIM 22 layer in FIG. 3 and similarly the TIM layers in subsequent figures, in order to enhance visibility, the TIM layer is represented much thicker than it actually is, so it is not faithful to the actual scale. The heat sink 12 is preferably made of a metal material, particularly aluminum, or copper, or an alloy thereof. The preferred manufacturing form of the heat sink 12 here is extrusion molding, which enables the use of components with good thermal conductivity. In addition, the processor device 15 includes a LID or processor housing 16, and a substrate 17 on which the actual processor 18 and other components are arranged using solder balls or solder material or solder 19. In addition, a TIM 20 layer (Thermal Interface Material; for example, thermal conductive paste) is arranged between the processor housing 16 and the processor 18, and the heat of the processor 18 is dissipated through the thermal conductive paste and the processor housing 16. The substrate 17 of the processor device 15 is attached to the wiring board 14 via solder balls or solder 21. Alternatively, this connection can also be implemented by an adhesive connection or a fixing method known from the prior art. As other components, for example, an underfill bond or a corner bond of the process can also be provided in the control device for reasons of robustness according to known criteria. At this time, the wiring board 14 is fixed or sandwiched between, for example, the control means housing 10 and the bottom or lid 10b, or fixed to the housing by other means, and the lid 10b can be, for example, capable of protecting the control means 2 from dust and water.

[0040] FIG. 3 shows, as a second thermal component, not a conventional solid metal heat sink with heat dissipation fins as shown in FIG. 2, but rather something that is often attached using thermal conductive grease to form a thermal connection between the component to be cooled, generally with a small gap or clearance, and a body through which a cooling fluid flows. In this figure, reference numeral 23 denotes a flexible fluid-passage type cooling pad, or a fluid-passage type second thermal component, that "adheres" to the component to be cooled, i.e., here, both the heat sink 12 and the control means housing 10. The cooling pad 23 is here disposed between the control means housing 10 and an optionally provided lid (which may be a holder or other thing) 10a. At this time, the cooling pad 23 can receive a large pressure, especially by support from both sides (by external support), and can adhere to an external covering material. The cooling pad 23 includes a heat sink made of at least a partially flexible material, i.e., a film or a composite film. Practically, as the flexible material, preferably a metal foil, such as aluminum foil or copper foil, that forms a laminate together with a thin plastic film, or a plastic film coated or vapor-deposited with, for example, aluminum, or an anodized aluminum foil can be used. Further, it is also possible to resin coat one or both sides of the aluminum foil. Further, it is also possible to use a so-called dry pack film (an anti-static, low water vapor transmission density, flexible barrier layer film for electronic components), or a combination of the above materials. When a metal foil, especially an aluminum foil, is used here, the required electrical insulation and corrosion resistance can be ensured by a very thin resin coating or an anodized (anodic oxidation) coating. In addition, at least one fluid channel 23a for letting in and out a fluid (coolant, air, water, etc.) is provided respectively.

[0041] FIG. 4 shows an example of an embodiment of the control means 2 of the present invention. Here, the processor device 15 does not have a processor housing. Here, the cooling device can be in contact with the processor 18 directly or via a thin TIM layer 20. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, since the heat sink 12 transmits the force acting thereon to the control device housing 10 via the tolerance correction material 13, the cooling arrangement according to the present invention plays a role of protecting the processor 18 from mechanical influences, so a processor housing is not necessary. To additionally protect the processor 18 from mechanical influences, a tolerance correction material 24 that cures can be arranged between the heat sink 12 and the substrate 17 and / or between the heat sink 12 and the wiring board 14, and this also spreads to the control means housing 10. According to this embodiment, the TIM layer can be significantly reduced, enabling very efficient heat transfer. Further, this embodiment ensures that the processor 18 is effectively protected without providing an additional processor housing.

[0042] For suitability for the purpose, the heat sink 12 can be designed in a shape such that heat is connected or adjacent only partially to adjacent housing parts via a narrow adhesive strip or via a free space with only air, minimizing the transfer of heat thereto, and the adjacent parts, for example, memory parts (RAM, FLASH, oscillators), can be thermally connected to a housing area that is significantly cooler than the area directly affected by heat from the power semiconductor or high-performance GPU / MCU via the TIM.

[0043] Figures 5a through 5h show variations of embodiments of the first heat component or heat sink 12, each showing a top view of the side facing the component to be cooled or processor device 15, as well as the corresponding side view. The heat sinks 12a through 12d shown in Figures 5a through 5d include flanges 25, and the tolerance correction material 13 can be disposed beside the flanges 25, and the flanges 25 can be fitted into the corresponding cutouts 11. Figures 5e and 5f show diamond-shaped heat sinks 12e and 12f that are each freely fitted into the cutout 11 because the profile is tapered, and here too the tolerance correction material 13 is disposed at the edge of the cutout 11.

[0044] Further embodiments of the heat sink are described in Figures 5g and 5h, and continuous heat dissipation fins 26a or individual heat dissipation protrusions 26b are provided on one side of the heat sinks 12g, 12h, and the structure is similar to that of the air-cooled housing. At that time, a fluid that is a liquid or a gas can flow on the surface facing the outside of the heat sinks 12g, 12h, or the surface can be in the flow. In the case of a liquid cooling method, the heat sinks 12g, 12h should be adhered so as not to leak. Here, it is further possible to provide a sealing lid that seals the device from the outside above the fins.

[0045] Figures 6a to 6f show various morphological variations of the connection between the heat sink 12 and the control means housing 10. Figure 6a shows the height difference between the heat sink 12 and the control means housing 10. Here, the allowable gap between the heat sink 12 to 12a and the edge of the control means housing 10 to the notch 11 can also be clearly seen. This enables attachment in the direction of / in contact with / facing the component 15 to be cooled, and also acts advantageously with respect to thermal insulation from the control means housing 10. Further, a tolerance correction material 13 may be present in the gap, and in some cases, this may be pushed into the gap when the heat sink 12 is attached (see Figures 6a to 6f / the same applies in other figures - not shown for clarity). For example, if it is a paste-like tolerance correction material 13, instead of applying it to the heat sink 12 or the control means housing 10, it can also be directly injected into the gap in the region between the notch 11 and the heat sink 12 after the heat sink 12 is positioned. Further, (as shown in Figure 6b) a cooling pad 23 is provided as a second thermal component, and due to its flexible characteristics, it adheres closely to the control means housing 10 and the heat sink 12, and no additional filling material is required. According to another form not shown, the heat sink 12 can have a protrusion with respect to the control means housing 10 (i.e., the heat sink 12 may protrude beyond the control means housing 10, in contrast to the form shown in Figure 6a), and this is evened out by the cooling pad 23. Figure 6c shows a morphological variation in which the heat sink 12 and the control means housing 10 form a substantially smooth or flat surface. Similarly here, a cooling pad 23 can be provided as a second thermal component as shown in Figure 6d. Figure 6e shows a morphological variation in which a heat sink 12h having heat dissipation fins 26a on the upper side is provided. As a result, the surface area of the heat sink 12h is expanded, so the heat sink 12h can dissipate heat through these heat dissipation fins. Here, air flow or fluid can be used for cooling.The heat radiating fins or heat radiating protrusions can be manufactured using a material that is significantly more delicate and has better thermal conductivity than conventional housings. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 6f, it is also possible to provide a lid 10a disposed above the control means housing 10 and the heat sink 12h. However, between the lid 10a and the surface of the heat sink 12h having heat radiating fins, a cooling channel is formed that allows a fluid (e.g., air or refrigerant) to be guided or sent through it, enabling efficient heat dissipation from the heat sink 12h.

[0046] FIG. 7 shows the configuration of the control means 2 provided with a passive heat radiating block 27 having heat radiating fins 27a as a second thermal component, for example, a so-called air-cooled heat radiating block by a fan or natural convection or air flow. In addition, since the heat radiating block 27 is made of copper or aluminum, if the surrounding control means housing 10 is made of, for example, an aluminum alloy with low thermal conductivity or a synthetic resin, it has a better thermal conductivity value than this. Furthermore, an enlarged surface area (compared to the surface area of the component to be cooled) can be obtained from the shape of the heat radiating block 27 provided with heat radiating fins 27a through which air can flow on the outside. In such an air-cooling system, usually, the height tolerance with respect to the control means housing 10 is not a problem. However, in the configuration according to FIG. 7, it is shown that the heat sink 12 and the control means housing 10 form a substantially flat surface, and the cooling block 27 is disposed thereon. Furthermore, when the heat sink 12 and the control means housing 10 do not have a smooth or flat surface, that is, when the heat sink 12 protrudes more than the control means housing 10, or as shown in FIG. 7, when the control means housing 10 protrudes more than the heat sink 12, in order to even out the height difference, an additional TIM layer 28 having a low thermal resistance, although it has a larger area / volume than the TIM layer 20, can be provided.

[0047] FIG. 8 shows a configuration in which the control means housing 10 has heat dissipation fins 10c (or alternatively heat dissipation protrusions) as an additional cooling function. Further, as a first thermal component, a heat sink 12h with heat dissipation fins 26a (or alternatively heat dissipation protrusions) is also provided. At that time, for example, an air flow that flows along the heat dissipation fins 10c, 26a (or heat dissipation protrusions) can be adopted for cooling. At that time, the air flow can be actively or passively induced, for example, using a fan. Further, it is also conceivable to cover the heat dissipation fins 10c, 26a (or heat dissipation protrusions) with a cover 10a, provide a fluid channel system or a fluid channel between the heat dissipation fins 10c, 26a (or heat dissipation protrusions), and supply fluid actively or passively through them. Thereby, for example, a liquid cooling system can be realized by sealing these fluid channels so that the fluid does not leak and connecting its inlet and outlet to a fluid circulation circuit.

[0048] FIG. 9 shows a further embodiment of the control means 2 according to the present invention, where other semiconductor components 30a, 30b on the substrate 14 are connected via cooling units 29a, 29b to cool them. In addition, relatively thick TIM layers 31a, 31b (based on the conventional structure) are respectively disposed between the cooling units 29a, 29b and the semiconductor components 30a, 30b. Further, the control means housing 10 has a substantially flat surface with a slight height deviation that can be corrected (tolerance correction when approaching the thermal hot spot component) by the elasticity of a bag or cooling pad 23 through which fluid passes and that is in close contact with the control means housing 10 and the heat sink 12 without a significant gap therebetween to promote heat removal. The flow of the fluid in the cooling pad 23 is, here, in a meandering shape or flows substantially perpendicular to the cutting direction of the figure (i.e., not flowing from left to right or vice versa to ensure thermal insulation between the heat sink 12 and the cooling units 29a, 29b). With this configuration, thermal insulation between the component or processor device 15 to be cooled and the other semiconductor components 30a, 30b can be realized or improved in a very simple form.

[0049] Figures 10a and 10b show the forms of heat sinks 120a to 120b according to the present invention, which can be used for the cooling arrangement according to the present invention or for the control means 2 according to the present invention. At that time, the heat sinks 120a to 121b are made of an aluminum-copper composite material by a deformation processing method, particularly by extrusion molding, and have heat dissipation protrusions 121a to 121b. The heat sink 120a and the heat sink 120b are provided with copper 121a to 122b or a copper alloy on the side of the component to be cooled because copper has excellent heat conduction characteristics, and aluminum has excellent heat conduction characteristics as well as good robustness against the corresponding fluid, so aluminum 122a to 122b or an aluminum alloy is provided on the fluid cooling side. The main difference between the heat sinks 120a and 120b is that in the heat sink 120a, the copper layer 121a is embedded or surrounded in the aluminum layer 122a, while in the heat sink 120b, the copper layer 121b and the aluminum layer 122b are formed like a layer package.

[0050] In FIGS. 10a / 10b, special forms of the heat dissipation protrusions 123a, 123b are shown respectively (these are also made of aluminum or its alloy). The heat sink can preferably have any shape, for example, having a collar 124a (see FIG. 10a), having a rhombic / trapezoidal cross-section (see FIG. 10b), or having cooling fins (see FIGS. 5h, 6e / f). FIG. 10c illustrates a heat sink 120c having a collar 124c. The collar 124c can be easily formed based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 10a where the embedded copper layer 121a protrudes from the aluminum layer 122a, or based on the embodiment shown in FIG. 10b where the area of the copper layer 121b is selected to be smaller than the area of the aluminum layer 122b, such that the copper layer 121c protrudes beyond the aluminum layer 122c. For the manufacture of the heat sinks 120a, 120b, 120c, extrusion molding is particularly suitable because the copper 121a, 121b, 121c and the aluminum 122a, 122b, 122c can be interconnected particularly well at the forming part. Extrusion molding is classified here as a shaping process or solid forming and can be carried out in a single-stage or multi-stage manufacturing process.

[0051] FIG. 11 shows an embodiment of the step-by-step assembly of the cooling arrangement during manufacture, or an embodiment of a method for manufacturing the cooling arrangement of the present invention. Here, the method has the following method steps: Step (I) of providing a housing (control means housing 10) of the control means 2, particularly having a notch 11 that substantially corresponds to the dimensions of the heat sink 12 and is located in the region of or adjacent to the component to be cooled, or Step (I) of providing the control means housing 10 of the control means 2 and forming a notch 11 therein; For example, a step (III) of mounting a component to be cooled in a control means housing, which is carried out by arranging a substrate 14 together with a processor device 15 (or an IC chip / processor 18) to be cooled within the control means housing 10, for example, positioning, fixing, or inserting it (in FIG. 11, the substrate 14 is firmly sandwiched between the control device case 10 and the cover 10b); A step (IV) of applying a curing tolerance correction material 13 (for example, an adhesive or paste) for fixing the heat sink 12 to the control means housing 10 or to the edge of the notch 11; A step (V) of applying, for example, a paste-like or liquid TIM 22 or providing a thin TIM pad on a power device or a component to be cooled according to the purpose; and A step (VI) of inserting a heat sink 12 (or a heat spreader or a cooling block), preferably made of aluminum or copper, or an alloy or composite material thereof, into the notch 11 such that the TIM 22 is extruded over a wide range on the component to be cooled, provided that the fixing of the heat sink 12 is completed only by the curing of the tolerance correction material 13 (or an adhesive or other "fixing medium");

[0052] In summary, the present invention shows a plurality of solution elements, whereby the thickness of one or more TIM layers can be significantly reduced, and in some cases, can even be completely omitted. This reduces the thermal resistance. Further, in some embodiments, the thermal connection between the main heat source (e.g., a high-performance processor) and other components (e.g., memory components) can be reduced. Further, according to the present invention, the heat transfer area of the thermal hot spot in the direction of the heat dissipating medium can be significantly increased. This new concept is suitable not only for special liquid cooling systems but also for dedicated air cooling systems designed specifically. Further, the present invention also discloses an embodiment in which mechanical support is provided by a robust housing component rather than by a cooling target component that is normally sensitive to impact, by taking a minimum distance between the cooling element (i.e., heat spreader or heat sink) and the component to be cooled (cooling target component) or the TIM layer thereon.

[0053] Needless to say, the cooling device can also be used to heat the component to be heated (so to speak, as a heating device) by filling the medium that transfers heat to the component to be heated. Thereby, the cooling device can be connected to the heating circuit in a simple manner via a connection part to supply the heating medium flowing through the cooling device or heating device. For example, the rack of the present invention or the cooling arrangement of the present invention may also be adopted to heat one or more components, particularly in the automotive field.

Explanation of Reference Signs

[0054] 1 Vehicle 2 Control means 3 Steering system 4 Engine / motor 5 Brake 6 Radar sensor 7 Lidar sensor 8 Front camera 9a - 9d Ultrasonic sensor 10 Control means housing 10a Lid 10b Cover 11 Notch 12, 12a - 12h Heat sink 13 Tolerance correction material 14 Wiring board 15 Processor device 16 Processor housing 17 Substrate 18 Processor 19 Solder 20 TIM 21 Solder 22 TIM 23 Cooling pad 23a Fluid channel 24 Tolerance correction material 25 Color 26a Heat dissipation fin 26b Heat dissipation protrusion 27 Heat dissipation block 27a Heat dissipation fin 28 TIM 29a, 29b Cooling unit 30a, 30b Semiconductor component 31a, 31b TIM layer 120a, 120b, 120c Heat sink 121a, 121b, 121c Copper 122a, 122b, 122c Aluminum 123a, 123b, 123c Heat dissipation protrusion 124a, 124c Color 200 Control means 201 Control means housing 202 Heat sink 203 Heat dissipation fin 204 Wiring board 205 Processor device 206 Processor housing 207 Substrate 208 Processor 209 Solder 210 TIM 211 Solder 212 TIM

Claims

1. A housing, in particular a control means housing (10) or a sensor case, a component to be cooled arranged within the housing, a first thermal component arranged in contact with the component to be cooled and, the housing having a notch (11) into which the first thermal component is inserted such that the first thermal component is mechanically aligned and thermally connected to the component to be cooled, and a tolerance compensation material (13) being provided between the first thermal component and the housing Cooling arrangement.

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

3. The cooling arrangement according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that a second thermal component is provided in contact with the housing and / or the first thermal component.

4. The cooling arrangement according to any 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. The cooling arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heat sink (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 120a, 120c) having a collar (25, 124a, 124c) is provided as the first thermal component, and the tolerance compensation material (13) is arranged at the collar (25, 124a, 124c) portion.

6. The cooling arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a heat sink (12e, 12f, 120b) having a trapezoidal or rhombic cross-section is provided as the first thermal component.

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

8. The cooling arrangement according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the second thermal component includes a heat pipe or fluid cooling, particularly preferably water cooling with fluid channels or air cooling with heat dissipation fins (27a) or a fluid plate with fluid channels.

9. The cooling arrangement according to any one of claims 3 to 7, characterized in that the second thermal component is a bellows or a cooling pad (23) having flexibility, at least partially made of a flexible material such that the second thermal component or a flexible part thereof can be in close contact with the first thermal component.

10. The cooling arrangement according to claim 9, characterized in that a flexible material is provided, including a metal foil, particularly an aluminum foil or a copper foil, and / or a plastic film, and / or a laminate, and / or, particularly preferably, a composite film including a metal foil and at least one plastic film.

11. The second thermal component is filled with a refrigerant or the refrigerant can flow through it, and as the refrigerant, particularly preferably, water, glycol, water / glycol mixture, air, CO ２ The cooling arrangement according to any one of claims 3 to 10, characterized in that a fluid such as is used.

12. A tolerance correction material (24) for correcting tolerances is additionally provided between the first thermal component and - the second thermal component, and / or - the wiring board (14) to which the component to be cooled is attached, and / or - the component to be cooled and the cooling arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims.

13. Control means (2) including the cooling arrangement according to any one of the preceding claims.

14. A cooling arrangement, particularly a method for manufacturing the cooling arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 12, characterized by including the following process steps: Step (I) of providing a housing with a notch (11), particularly a control means housing (10), or step (II) of making a notch (11) if necessary, Step (III) of applying a tolerance correction material that solidifies to the edge of the housing or the notch (11) for fixing the heat sink (12), Step (IV) of mounting the component to be cooled within the housing of the control means (2), Step (VI) of inserting the heat sink into the notch, and the step of solidifying the tolerance correction material for fixing the heat sink. Claim 15 The method according to claim 14, further comprising the following process step: Step (V) of applying TIM to the component to be cooled. Claim 16 The heat sink (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 120a, 120b, 120c) is made of an aluminum-copper composite material and is manufactured by a deformation processing method, in particular, extrusion molding, and has a colored or diamond / trapezoidal cross-section, characterized in that it is the heat sink (12, 12a, 12b, 12c, 12d, 120a, 120b, 120c) for a cooling arrangement according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

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