Electrical component cooling using compressed air cooling manifolds

Abstract

Provided herein is a cooling system featuring a cooling manifold having features that conform to the shape of an electrical component to be cooled. The cooling manifold may be connected to a cooling fluid source, such as a clean, dry air source, by flexible and / or rigid flow conduits. The cooling manifold may have one or more outlet ports configured to direct the cooling fluid toward one or more surfaces of the electrical component to be cooled so that the cooling fluid directly impinges on the one or more surfaces.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] A PCT application is filed concurrently herewith as part of this application. Each application identified in the concurrently filed PCT application to which this application claims benefit or priority is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety for all purposes. [Background technology]

[0002] Semiconductor processing tools are complex systems involving many different gas flow, wafer handling, and electrical components, some of which generate significant amounts of heat that must be dissipated. Described herein is a cooling system that can be used to more efficiently cool some of these components. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter described herein are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages will become apparent from the description, drawings, and claims.

[0004] In some examples, an apparatus may be provided that includes one or more electrical components, one or more flow conduits, and one or more cooling manifolds. Each of the cooling manifolds may include one or more outlet ports, each configured to cause fluid to impinge on at least a surface of at least one of the electrical components as the fluid exits the cooling manifold through the outlet port. Each of the cooling manifolds may also include one or more internal passages that each lead to one or more of the outlet ports of the cooling manifold, the one or more internal passages of each cooling manifold may be fluidly connected to one or more inlets, and each of the flow conduits may be fluidly connected to one of the one or more inlets, and the flow conduits may be configured to receive (contain) a fluid.

[0005] In some embodiments, at least one of the outlet ports may be in fluid communication with the ambient air surrounding the device, and in some further such embodiments, all of the outlet ports may be in fluid communication with the ambient air surrounding the device.

[0006] In some examples, one or more flow conduits may be configured to be fluidly connected to a source of clean, dry air.

[0007] In some embodiments, one or more flow conduits may be fluidly connected to a source of clean, dry air.

[0008] In some examples, the one or more cooling manifolds may include a first cooling manifold having a first opening leading to a corresponding first blind cavity, the first blind cavity may be configured to accommodate corresponding one or more first electrical components of the one or more electrical components when the one or more first electrical components are inserted through the first opening, the first blind cavity may have a corresponding first bottom surface opposite the corresponding first opening, and the one or more first outlet ports of the one or more outlet ports may be located on the first bottom surface.

[0009] In some examples, the one or more first electrical components may comprise a first inductor including a coil portion having a conductor spiraling around a central axis, the coil portion may have a coil radius relative to the central axis, the first bottom surface may have an arcuate cross-sectional profile having a first radius greater than the coil radius, and the first opening may be sized to accommodate the coil portion.

[0010] In some embodiments, the first blind cavity may have at least one end surface, each of the end surfaces configured to reside in the coil portion near one end or the other end of the coil portion.

[0011] In some embodiments, the one or more first exit ports may comprise at least two first exit ports, and each of the at least two first exit ports may be positioned at a different normal distance from a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

[0012] In some embodiments, the at least two first outlet ports may be spaced apart along a first axis parallel to the central axis.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first cooling manifold may further include one or more rib walls, each of which is disposed on the first bottom surface between two of the first outlet ports that are spaced apart along the first axis.

[0014] In some embodiments, the apparatus may further include a first substrate, the first substrate may have an electrical trace electrically connected to the first inductor, and the first opening of the first cooling manifold may be proximate to the first substrate.

[0015] In some embodiments, the first radius may be no more than 3 mm greater than the coil radius.

[0016] In some examples, the one or more cooling manifolds may include a second cooling manifold having one or more second openings, each of the second openings leading to a corresponding second blind cavity, each of the second blind cavities configured to accommodate a corresponding one or more second electrical components of the one or more electrical components when the one or more second electrical components are inserted through the second opening, each of the second blind cavities may have a corresponding second bottom surface opposite the corresponding second opening, and the one or more second outlet ports of the one or more outlet ports may be located on the second bottom surface.

[0017] In some embodiments, each of the second blind cavities may have a cross-section in a plane parallel to the second bottom surface of the second blind cavity that is larger than the total cross-sectional area of ​​the corresponding one or more second electrical components of the second blind cavity in that plane.

[0018] In some embodiments, the second bottom surface of each second blind cavity may be spaced apart from the corresponding one or more second electrical components in the second blind cavity by no more than a second amount in a direction perpendicular to the second bottom surface.

[0019] In some embodiments, the second amount may be about 3 mm.

[0020] In some embodiments, each of the second blind cavities may have one or more sides that are spaced apart from the corresponding one or more second electrical components within the second blind cavity by no more than a third amount.

[0021] In some embodiments, a plurality of second outlet ports may be disposed on the at least one second bottom surface, and the plurality of second outlet ports disposed on the at least one second bottom surface may be arranged in a rectangular or circular array.

[0022] In some examples, the one or more electrical components may comprise a third electrical component, the one or more cooling manifolds may comprise a third cooling manifold, the third electrical component may be a second inductor surrounding at least a portion of the third cooling manifold, the one or more outlet ports may comprise a plurality of third outlet ports, the third outlet ports may be disposed along an outer periphery or periphery of the portion of the third cooling manifold that is surrounded by the third electrical component, and may be configured to direct fluid flowing from the third cooling manifold to an inner surface of the second inductor via the third outlet ports.

[0023] In some embodiments, the device may further comprise a capping structure, the capping structure preventing fluid flow from an end region of the second inductor in a direction aligned with a central axis of the second inductor.

[0024] In some embodiments, the third electrical component may be a toroidal core inductor.

[0025] In some examples, the one or more electrical components may include one or more terminal lugs or studs, and the one or more cooling manifolds may include a fourth cooling manifold having one or more collar elements, each having an opening through which a corresponding one of the terminal lugs or studs extends, and each collar element may have a region where an inner surface of the collar element is offset radially outward from the terminal lug or stud extending through the inner surface, and where at least one of the one or more outlet ports is disposed therein. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0026] In the following description, reference will be made to the following figures, each of which is not intended to be limiting in scope and is provided merely to facilitate the following description:

[0027] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a cooling system in the context of a semiconductor processing tool.

[0028] [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an isometric view of an apparatus including an electrical component to be cooled and a cooling manifold configured to cool the electrical component.

[0029] [Figure 3] FIG. 3 shows the exemplary device of FIG. 2 in an exploded view.

[0030] [Figure 4]FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the device of FIG. 2, with cutting lines showing the cut surfaces of FIGS.

[0031] [Figure 5] FIG. 5 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0032] [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 2 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0033] [Figure 7] FIG. 7 shows an isometric cross-sectional view of the cooling manifold of the apparatus of FIG. 2 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0034] [Figure 8] FIG. 8 shows a cross-sectional view of a variation of the device of FIG. 2 taken along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0035] [Figure 9] FIG. 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 8 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0036] [Figure 10] FIG. 10 illustrates another exemplary apparatus featuring an electrical component to be cooled and a cooling manifold configured to provide such cooling.

[0037] [Figure 11] FIG. 11 shows the device of FIG. 10 in an exploded state.

[0038] [Figure 12] FIG. 12 shows a plan view of the exemplary device of FIG. 10, with cut lines indicating the cut planes of FIGS. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 shows a side view of the exemplary device of FIG. 10 with a cut line indicating the cut plane of FIG.

[0039] [Figure 14] FIG. 14 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 10 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0040] [Figure 15] FIG. 15 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 10 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0041] [Figure 16] FIG. 16 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 10 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0042] [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is an isometric view of another exemplary apparatus with an electrical component to be cooled and a corresponding cooling manifold.

[0043] [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is an isometric exploded view of the exemplary device of FIG.

[0044] [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a plan view of the exemplary device of FIG. 17, with cut lines added to indicate the cut planes for FIGS. 20 and 21.

[0045] [Figure 20] FIG. 20 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 17 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0046] [Figure 21] FIG. 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the device of FIG. 17 along the corresponding section line in FIG.

[0047] [Figure 22] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cooling control system.

[0048] The above diagrams are provided to facilitate understanding of the concepts described in this disclosure and are intended to illustrate some examples that are within the scope of this disclosure, but are not intended to be limiting. Examples that are consistent with this disclosure but are not shown are still considered to be within the scope of this disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0049] As mentioned above, a semiconductor processing tool or chamber may include or be connected to various components that may generate large amounts of heat and may require cooling, for example, to maintain temperatures within operational limits, to prevent component failure, or to avoid potentially dangerous situations for human operators.

[0050] Some electrical components used in semiconductor processing tools may be subjected to high electrical loads and / or currents, which may result in the generation of significant amounts of waste heat from such components. For example, a semiconductor processing tool that provides for plasma generation within one or more semiconductor processing chambers thereof may include various components that are used to modulate or filter electromagnetic signals used to ignite and maintain the plasma.

[0051] For example, such a system may feature a pedestal used to support a wafer within a processing chamber. The pedestal may function as (or have such an electrode embedded within) a radio frequency (RF) electrode that may be supplied with modulated power used to generate an electrical potential across a region within the chamber where a plasma is ignited and maintained. The modulated power may be filtered using one or more LC (inductor-capacitor) filters before being provided to the RF electrode, for example, to provide power at the frequency or frequencies necessary to generate the desired plasma. Generally speaking, it is desirable to locate such filters near the RF electrode, or as close as practically possible, to minimize exposure of the filtered electrical signal to potential sources of electrical interference during transport to the RF electrode. This reduces the likelihood of corruption of the filtered signal, which could adversely affect the generation or maintenance of a plasma within the chamber.

[0052] Various types of components may be used to provide for filtering of the electrical signals sent to the RF electrodes. For example, such electrical components include inductors (so-called "air core" or "air coil" inductors and / or solid core inductors, e.g., toroidal core inductors, ferrite core inductors, etc.), capacitors, and / or terminal lugs or studs that may be used to connect electrical circuits having such inductors and / or capacitors to a power source (or RF electrodes). Such components may generate significant amounts of heat due to the large electrical loads they carry, which must be dissipated to maintain the temperature of the components within a desired temperature range, e.g., within the operating limits of the components.

[0053] In many electronic systems where electrical components require active cooling, such components are typically housed within an enclosure, and one or more fans are then used to draw ambient air into the enclosure. Such airflow can cool the electrical components housed within the enclosure by facilitating convective heat transfer from the electrical components housed within the enclosure.

[0054] However, the use of fan-based cooling presents various problems. First, the cross-section of the enclosure used, perpendicular to the airflow from the fan(s), is often much larger than the cross-sectional area of ​​the fan(s). Thus, without the use of ducts or other techniques to direct the airflow from the fan, the air directed through the enclosure tends to flow through the enclosure in a relatively dispersed manner. As a result, air flowing past electrical components within the enclosure may flow past the electrical components at a much lower velocity than the velocity of the air passing through the fan(s). If a desired flow velocity is desired for the air flowing past the electrical components, it may be necessary to operate the fan(s) to produce a much higher flow velocity in order to maintain the desired flow velocity past the electrical components.

[0055] Furthermore, heat generation within electronics enclosures is often highly localized to specific individual electrical components, such as capacitors and inductors, while other components, such as wiring harnesses and low-voltage processors, often generate much less heat. Furthermore, the open space within such enclosures naturally generates no heat. Fan-based cooling systems therefore provide relatively inefficient cooling (both in terms of heat dissipation and power consumption). Airflow provided by fans is typically diffuse and, unless channeled and collected by ducts, flows toward components with low as well as high heat-generation rates. Thus, some of the airflow that could be used to provide additional cooling to high-heat-generation components may instead be directed toward components that generate less heat (and require less cooling). At the same time, airflow within the enclosure may flow through areas of the enclosure that do not require cooling, requiring fans in such cooling systems to operate at higher flow rates to maintain a level of airflow through the enclosure(s) sufficient to cool the components within the enclosure.

[0056] Another problem with fan-based cooling is that such fans typically draw air (coolant) into an enclosure from the ambient air surrounding it, use the ambient air to cool the electrical components, and then exhaust the air back to the ambient environment. However, in the context of cooling electrical components in a semiconductor processing tool, using ambient air as a cooling fluid can be problematic because the ambient air near the electronics enclosure on the semiconductor processing tool may be at an elevated temperature compared to “typical” ambient air, such as air at room temperature (approximately 21°C / 70°F). For example, electronics enclosures in semiconductor processing tools are often located in close proximity to equipment that can generate significant amounts of heat, such as near the semiconductor processing chamber, operating to process semiconductor wafers at temperatures of several hundred degrees Celsius. The electronics enclosure may be located within a larger enclosure of the semiconductor processing tool or in areas of high equipment density, such as the backside of a semiconductor processing chamber, where the ambient air flow is restricted and results in areas where the ambient air flow is largely stagnant. Thus, the "ambient" air immediately adjacent to the intake of such an enclosure may actually be much warmer than the ambient air one or two feet away from such a semiconductor processing tool.

[0057] As a result, such elevated temperature air may have a lower thermal capacity than ambient air in non-manufacturing facilities, and therefore may be less able to cool electrical components. To compensate for this lower thermal capacity, cooling fans may need to operate at higher fan speeds, pushing air through the enclosure at a higher velocity. This may result in a shorter useful life of the cooling fan(s), greater noise and vibration, and more power consumption (to operate the fan(s)).

[0058] Furthermore, the use of fans as a solution for cooling enclosures used in semiconductor processing equipment can generate vibrations that can adversely affect the performance of such semiconductor processing equipment. For example, as previously mentioned, it may be desirable to locate electrical components used to filter electrical signals provided to an RF electrode near, or as close as practicable to, the RF electrode. To that end, in some semiconductor processing systems, an enclosure housing electrical components used to provide RF filtering functionality may be mounted in close proximity to a pedestal housing the RF electrode. For example, if the pedestal of such a semiconductor processing tool is supported within a semiconductor processing chamber of such a semiconductor processing tool via a stem, the stem extending through the bottom of the semiconductor processing chamber and connected to a vertical lift mechanism that allows the stem and pedestal to be moved up and down vertically relative to the semiconductor processing chamber, such an enclosure may be mounted to the stem to shorten the length of electrical cables running from the electrical components used for filtering to the RF electrode and to prevent the routing of such cables from changing when the pedestal is moved up and down relative to the semiconductor processing chamber. Thus, the enclosure housing such electrical components may move up and down with the pedestal and be positioned relatively close to the pedestal.

[0059] However, when fan-based cooling is used in such an arrangement with an enclosure, the tight mechanical coupling between the stem / pedestal and the enclosure may act to more efficiently transfer vibrations from the enclosure, e.g., generated by the fan(s), to the stem and pedestal. Such vibrations, while potentially low in magnitude, may cause a wafer supported on the pedestal to move relative to the pedestal over time. Even small amounts of movement of the wafer relative to the pedestal can potentially compromise the integrity of the wafer during processing, resulting in, for example, increased defect rates. The risk that such vibrations pose to wafer yield also typically increases over time as the fan(s) in use age and begin to experience mechanical failure. For example, the bearings used in such cooling fans eventually begin to deteriorate, resulting in increased levels of vibration. Furthermore, such cooling fans may experience other types of mechanical failure that do not stop the fan from operating but can significantly increase the amount of vibration output by the fan. For example, if a fan blade fails, either fully or partially, the resulting loss of material in the fan blade may cause the fan blade to become unbalanced and increase vibration.

[0060] To address the above-mentioned problems, the inventors have devised a cooling system in which one or more electrical components to be cooled may each interface with a cooling manifold configured to direct cooling fluid from one or more outlet ports to impinge on a respective surface or surfaces of the electrical components to be cooled, e.g., perpendicularly or at an oblique angle, or in a flush or parallel crossflow. The cooling fluid may be a pressurized gas, e.g., clean, dry air, which may be provided through a relatively long, small-diameter flow conduit, e.g., flexible polyethylene tubing or similar material, which may be used to deliver the cooling fluid to the cooling manifold, which may be easily routed within an enclosure and positioned in close proximity to the electrical components to be cooled. The flow conduit may be fluidly connected to an internal passage within the cooling manifold, e.g., by a corresponding inlet in the cooling manifold. The internal passage may then deliver the cooling fluid to each outlet port or ports of the cooling manifold. By delivering the cooling fluid directly to the electrical components to be cooled, the volume of cooling fluid that must be delivered to the enclosure may be significantly reduced compared to the volume of cooling fluid that must be delivered to the enclosure using a fan-based cooling system. Furthermore, such cooling fluid may be supplied from a pressurized clean dry air (CDA) source (or other pressurized air source) that provides CDA to semiconductor processing tools within a semiconductor fabrication facility, for example. For clarity, CDA refers to air that has been filtered and then subjected to a moisture removal process. The moisture removal process may involve, for example, chilling the filtered air to a temperature of −40° C. to freeze / condense any moisture that may be present in the air, and then pumping or directing the air to one or more CDA outlets within the semiconductor fabrication facility. Because the cooling fluid provided via the flow conduits is pressurized and contained within a sealed system (the flow conduits) until it is delivered to the cooling manifold, the enclosure does not need to have a fan used to move air through the enclosure. Therefore, electrical components within the enclosure may be actively cooled without the need for a fan attached to the enclosure.This completely avoids the scenario where vibrations resulting from the operation and / or degradation of such fan performance are transmitted into the housing and through the stem and pedestal to the wafer, while still allowing the housing to be mounted on the stem so that it is close to the RF electrode and can move up and down with the pedestal without having to bend or reconfigure the cables / electrical connections between the housing and the RF electrode to accommodate the movement of the pedestal.

[0061] At the same time, the delivery of cooling fluid, e.g., CDA, can be targeted to the component level, allowing for active cooling of only those components requiring cooling, as opposed to circulating cooling air over a much larger volume that includes both components requiring active cooling and other components that may not require cooling. Furthermore, each cooling manifold may be constructed so that a relatively small gap exists between the cooling manifold and each electrical component it is configured to cool, thereby reducing the volume through which the cooling fluid must flow to effectively cool the electrical components being cooled. As a result, the amount of cooling fluid that must be flowed into the enclosure may be significantly reduced compared to fan-based systems. This allows the cooling fluid to flow into the enclosure at a much lower velocity than would be required in a fan-based cooling system, significantly reducing noise. The cooling fluid in such a system may be directed to the electrical components to be cooled and then exhausted to the ambient environment.

[0062] The use of cooling manifolds as described herein may also significantly simplify the monitoring system for the health of semiconductor processing tools. For example, typical enclosures for heat-generating electrical components, such as those that may be used to modulate electrical signals provided to RF electrodes, often feature multiple fans. For example, such enclosures may be subdivided into two compartments, each with two fan units (one for intake and one for exhaust). Such enclosures may therefore have four fan units. When such enclosures are used in multi-station semiconductor processing tools, e.g., tools with eight or ten stations, 32 to 40 fan units can easily be provided. Semiconductor processing tools with such enclosures also include a monitoring system that tracks the operational status of each fan unit within the enclosure to issue alerts in the event of an anomaly. To obtain a complete picture of the operational status of the fan units, such systems typically need to monitor both fan speed and fan vibration levels. Fan speed alone can detect faults that may cause the fan to operate at a reduced speed or not spin at all, but it does not provide insight into faults that do not affect fan speed but may affect the vibration output of the fan unit, such as a broken fan blade or other source of rotational imbalance that may cause the fan unit to exhibit undesirable vibration. Similarly, vibration level may provide insight into fan unit degradation that may increase vibration output, but not into the fan unit's speed. Therefore, to get a complete picture of the operating status of the fan units in such a semiconductor processing tool, the tool's fan unit monitoring system would need to track data from 64 to 80 sensors (32 to 40 speed sensors and 32 to 40 accelerometers (for vibration measurements)).

[0063] The use of cooling manifolds as described herein allows for the use of simpler monitoring systems, if monitoring is desired at all. As is evident from the above description, monitoring systems for fan-based cooling systems focus on monitoring physical phenomena resulting from the moving parts of the fan unit, such as the rotation of the fan blades or the vibrations caused by the rotation of the fan blades. In cooling systems utilizing the cooling manifolds described herein, cooling is achieved without the need for moving parts in or on the enclosure that houses the electrical components to be cooled. As a result, there may be little or no need to actually monitor the performance of cooling manifold-based cooling systems. However, it may still be desirable to monitor the performance of such systems, for example, to detect when a particular cooling manifold feature does not potentially provide the desired level of cooling. For example, an obstruction in a flow conduit providing cooling fluid to the cooling manifold, a wrinkled or deformed flow conduit providing cooling fluid to the cooling manifold, or a cut or tear in a flow conduit providing cooling fluid to the cooling manifold may indicate reduced or non-existent cooling of the cooling manifold. However, all of these types of failures can be detected at the inlet of the flow conduit leading to the cooling manifold, for example, by monitoring the pressure of the cooling fluid at the inlet of the flow conduit. In a fan-based cooling system, such monitoring must necessarily occur at or adjacent to the fan unit.

[0064] Additionally, a common sensor may be used to monitor multiple different cooling manifolds that are provided with cooling fluid via flow conduits fed from a common plenum, thereby allowing the operational status of multiple cooling manifolds to be monitored simultaneously without requiring individual sensors for each cooling manifold.

[0065] The above-referenced cooling manifold is described in more detail below with reference to several different exemplary embodiments.

[0066] 1 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary apparatus 100 (e.g., a semiconductor processing tool) including a semiconductor processing chamber 102 that can be used in processing a semiconductor wafer 112. The semiconductor wafer 112 may be supported within the processing chamber 102 by a pedestal 106 supported on a stem 108. The stem 108 may be connected to a vertical lift actuator 110, which may be configured to raise and lower the stem 108, pedestal 106, and semiconductor wafer 112 relative to the semiconductor processing chamber RR02. The pedestal 106 may be positioned below a showerhead 104 of the semiconductor processing chamber 102 and configured to distribute one or more process gases across the semiconductor wafer 112.

[0067] In some cases, the apparatus 100 may be configured to facilitate ignition and maintenance of a plasma in the space between the pedestal 106 and the showerhead 104. For example, the pedestal 106 may include an RF electrode (not shown, but which may be, for example, a circular, planar layer of metallic material embedded within the ceramic body of the pedestal 106) to which power is provided, the power being routed through an electrical circuit disposed within the housing 114 before being delivered to the RF electrode. The housing may be affixed or otherwise secured to the stem 108 such that, as the stem 108 is moved up or down, the housing 114 and its components therein can also move up or down, as described above.

[0068] The enclosure 114 may house various electrical components 118a / b / c (three such electrical components 118 are shown, but there may be more or fewer such electrical components) that may generate large amounts of heat and therefore require cooling. Each of the electrical components 118a / b / c may be interfaced to a corresponding cooling manifold 132a / b / c. As shown, electrical components 118a and 118b are at least partially housed within corresponding cooling manifolds 132a and 132b, respectively, while cooling manifold 132c is actually inserted within electrical component 118c. A plurality of flow conduits 136 may conduct cooling fluid to each of the cooling manifolds 132. The cooling fluid may be provided to the flow conduits 136 via connection to a cooling fluid source, such as a CDA supply 142, which may be provided as part of a semiconductor manufacturing facility, for example, in a manner similar to how such a facility provides infrastructure for distributing power, water, purge gas, or other basic commonly used “utilities” to different semiconductor processing tools.

[0069] The cooling manifold 132 may be designed with one or more surfaces that may be positioned within a first minimum distance of a portion or portions of the electrical component or component 118 to be cooled when the cooling manifold 132 interfaces with the electrical component or component 118 to be cooled. Such surfaces may, for example, have generally the same shape as the surface of the electrical component(s) to be cooled, but may be offset outward from the surface of the electrical component(s) (or inward for the interior surface of the electrical component(s) to be cooled) such that a small gap exists between the surface(s) of the electrical component(s) and the surface(s) of the cooling manifold. The size of the gap may, in some cases, be on the order of a few millimeters, e.g., 3 millimeters or less, e.g., 2 millimeters or less, 1 millimeter or less, 0.5 millimeters or less. The gap size may, in some cases, be larger than the tolerances for the location and / or size of the electrical component being cooled. Such a gap may, in some cases, exist over at least 40% of the outward-facing or inward-facing exterior surface area of ​​the electrical component(s). In some cases, the gap may exist over at least 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 70%, 80%, 90%, or 100% of the exterior surface area of ​​the electrical component.

[0070] FIG. 2 shows an example of one cooling manifold design according to the present disclosure. FIG. 3 shows the example of FIG. 2, but in an exploded view. FIGS. 2 and 3 show a substrate 216 mounted with an electrical component 218 covered by a shrouded cooling manifold 232. The electrical component 218, in this example, is an air-core inductor 220. The inductor 220 includes a coil portion 222 of conductive material (e.g., copper wire) wound in a spiral shape about a central axis 224. The coil portion 222 may have end coil segments 221 extending downward into holes in the substrate 216, allowing the inductor 220 to be mechanically and electrically bonded to electrical traces in the substrate 216, for example, by soldering.

[0071] As shown, the inductor 220 / electrical component 218 is shaped approximately like a cylindrical tube. Accordingly, the cooling manifold 232 is semi-cylindrical in shape and has an inner surface (not visible here, but see later figures, e.g., FIGS. 5-9 ) with a radius slightly larger than the coil radius 223 of the coil portion 222. The coil radius 223 may represent, for example, the radius of a reference cylinder circumscribing the coil portion 222. The cooling manifold 232 is sized to allow the cooling manifold 232 to be mounted over the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 while simultaneously covering the electrical component 218 / inductor 220. The cooling manifold 232 may, in some cases, be sized to rest on the substrate 216, thereby allowing the substrate to bear a majority of the load supporting the cooling manifold 232. However, in other embodiments, the cooling manifold 232 may rest on the electrical component 218 to be cooled.

[0072] Cooling manifold 232, in this case, has an inlet 240, which may be configured to connect to a flow conduit (not shown) via a fitting, such as a push-fit fitting or other suitable fluid connector. Inlet 240 may be fluidly connected to an internal passage 238 within cooling manifold 232 (for clarity, callout 240 in FIGS. 2 and 3 refers to the portion of the exterior of the cooling manifold where internal passage 238 is located, rather than the internal passage itself).

[0073] Figure 4 is a plan view of the exemplary apparatus of Figures 2 and 3, with cut lines added to show the cross-sectional cuts shown in Figures 5 and 6. Figure 7 is an isometric view of the cooling manifold of Figure 4 taken along the cut lines of Figure 6, but without the substrate 216 or electrical components 218 visible.

[0074] 4-7, cooling manifold 232 is designed to be mounted over electrical component 218 / inductor 220 such that electrical component 218 / inductor 220 is substantially entirely contained within a volume bounded by cooling manifold 232 and substrate 216. For example, cooling manifold 232 may have an opening 244 that leads to a blind cavity 246 sized to accommodate electrical component 218 / inductor 220 when electrical component 218 / inductor 220 is inserted through opening 244, e.g., a cavity that is open to the ambient environment via opening 244 but is otherwise generally sealed off from the ambient environment.

[0075] The blind cavity 246 of the cooling manifold 232 is generally U-shaped and characterized by an arcuate or curved bottom surface having an arcuate or curved cross-sectional profile, where the outlet port 234 is located, and two side surfaces that are generally tangent to the arcuate bottom surface. The arcuate bottom surface may have a radius that is somewhat larger than the coil radius 223 of the coil portion 222 of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220, for example, a radius that is 3 mm or less larger than the coil radius, e.g., approximately 0.25 mm to 2.5 mm, or 1 mm to 2 mm larger. Such a difference in radius may result in a correspondingly sized clearance area between the cooling manifold and the component being cooled. Such clearance area may be optimally sized to provide enhanced cooling while allowing for a sufficient clearance area for reliable installation of the cooling manifold, taking into account expected variations in component size and installation. This allows the circular coil portion 222 of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 to be inserted through the opening 244 and positioned within the cooling manifold 232 such that the outer surface of the top half of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 is a small distance, e.g., on the order of one or a few millimeters (e.g., 2.5 mm or 3 mm or less), from the nearest surface of the cooling manifold 232 (in this case, the arcuate bottom surface). This results in a clearance region 239 that extends across a significant portion of the outwardly facing surface of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220. For example, the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 has a generally cylindrical outwardly facing surface defined by the coil portion 222. (The end coil segments 221, or any leads or wires that serve to connect the electrical component to other electrical components but are not otherwise intended to provide functionality associated with the electrical component, are not considered to contribute to the “outer surface” of the electrical component.) The clearance region 239 extends across at least half of the outward facing surface, for example, at least 40% of the outward facing surface area of ​​the electrical component 218 / inductor 220.

[0076] Cooling manifold 232 and / or substrate 216 may also have one or more exhaust openings 245, which may be positioned such that electrical component 218 / inductor 220 is disposed between exhaust opening(s) 245 and outlet port 234. Outlet port 234 is configured to direct cooling fluid, e.g., CDA, directly into gap region 239, such that the cooling fluid directly impinges on the exterior surface of electrical component 218 / inductor 220 and then flows through gap region 239 (and across one or more exterior surfaces of electrical component 218 / inductor 220) before exiting via one or more exhaust openings 245. As will be appreciated, exhaust opening 245 takes the form of a slit defined by substrate 216 and a portion of the bottom edge of cooling manifold 232 that is recessed from the remainder of the bottom edge of cooling manifold 232 in a direction perpendicular to substrate 216, although other embodiments may have alternative exhaust opening configurations. For example, in some embodiments, a series of holes may be utilized instead of elongated slits or apertures, and in other embodiments, such features may be located throughout the cooling manifold 232 (e.g., its sidewalls) or throughout the substrate 216.

[0077] As described above, the cooling manifold 232 may include one or more outlet ports 234, which may be configured to direct cooling fluid from the cooling manifold 232 to impinge on a surface or surfaces of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220. The depicted exemplary cooling manifold 232 features multiple outlet ports 234 (e.g., three) arranged at different normal distances from a reference plane perpendicular to the central axis 224. In this particular example, the outlet ports 234 may be arranged in a linear array, e.g., spaced apart along a corresponding axis generally parallel to the central axis 224 of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 along the interior of the cooling manifold (e.g., along the bottom surface of the blind cavity 246). Depending on the length of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220, more or fewer outlet ports 234 may be used, e.g., one outlet port 234, two outlet ports 234, or three or more outlet ports 234. In instances where there is more than one outlet port 234, it may be desirable to direct the flow through the gap region 239 in a particular manner, for example to encourage a more uniform flow of cooling fluid.

[0078] As discussed above and apparent from the figures, cooling manifold 232 has an inner surface that generally follows the contours of at least a portion of electrical component 218 / inductor 220 in clearance region 239. However, there may be deviations from such conformity where, for example, the clearance in clearance region 239 varies or even disappears entirely, which may be provided to provide a desirable cooling fluid flow path.

[0079] For example, in cooling manifold 232, the bottom surface of blind cavity 246 features rib walls 252, each positioned midway between an adjacent pair of outlet ports 234 (or between two sets of outlet ports 234). The rib walls, in this example, are generally arcuate walls that, at least at their highest point, extend upward from the bottom surface of blind cavity 246 a distance generally equal to the thickness of the gap region at the location of rib walls 252. Thus, when cooling manifold 232 is installed above electrical component 218 / inductor 220 to form gap region 239, rib walls 252 contact or nearly contact electrical component 218 / inductor 220, thereby providing a barrier to axial fluid flow near rib walls 252. Such an arrangement can help manage the flow of cooling fluid from each of outlet ports 234 through gap region 239, ensuring a more even distribution of the cooling fluid flow.

[0080] The cooling manifold 232 also features an end surface 250 that is sized to contact or at least significantly reduce the gap between the cooling manifold 232 and the electrical component 218 / inductor 220. The end surface 250 may be, for example, an arcuate surface sized to fit the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 but have a radius that is smaller than the radius of the remainder of the bottom surface of the blind cavity 246. Such an end surface 250 may act to block or at least impede the flow of cooling fluid axially relative to the central axis 224, thereby reducing the risk that cooling fluid (particularly from the endmost outlet ports 234) will flow over the end of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220 and into its internal cavity rather than through the gap region, thereby reducing the cooling efficiency of the electrical component 218 / inductor 220.

[0081] In some embodiments, cooling manifold 232 may be fabricated from multiple pieces to facilitate providing a clearance area that extends across a greater percentage of the outwardly facing exterior surface of electrical component 218 / inductor 220. Figures 8 and 9 show a cross section (similar to the cross section in Figures 5 and 6) of a variation of cooling manifold 232 in which there are three sections 233a, 233b, and 233c. Section 233a is similar to the top half of cooling manifold 232 in Figures 5 and 6 and includes internal passages 238a and outlet ports 234a that direct cooling fluid into clearance area 239a. Section 233b has an interior surface similar to section 233a but facing in the opposite direction. Section 233b may have, for example, a semicircular groove sized to accommodate electrical component 218 / inductor 220 while still maintaining clearance area 239 between electrical component 218 / inductor 220 and section 233b. Portion 233b may have through slots along its length, for example, at the bottom of the groove, which may align with corresponding slots in substrate 216, thereby providing exhaust openings 245a. In some cases, portion 233b may actually be a two-piece assembly, axially separated in the middle so that, for example, each half can be slid under electrical component 218 / inductor 220 in a direction parallel to substrate 216, thereby allowing portion 233b to be installed after electrical component 218 / inductor 220 has already been connected to substrate 216. As can be seen, such an arrangement has the effect of extending clearance region 239 around substantially the entire circumference of coil portion 222 of electrical component 218 / inductor 220. This may expand the cooling capacity of cooling manifold 232 so that both the top and bottom of electrical component 218 / inductor 220 can be cooled with roughly similar effectiveness.

[0082] Portion 233c in this example is a solid (or tubular) insert sized for insertion into electrical component 218 / inductor 220. Portion 233c may be sized slightly smaller than the inner diameter of electrical component 218 / inductor 220, thereby forming a second clearance region 239b between portion 233c and the inward-facing outer surface of electrical component 218 / inductor 220. Portion 233c may also be provided with an internal passageway 238b that provides cooling fluid to one or more outlet ports 234b, which direct the cooling fluid onto the inward-facing surface of electrical component 218 / inductor 220. The cooling fluid may then flow through additional clearance region 239b toward substrate 216. Because the structure of electrical component 218 / inductor 220 may block the flow of cooling fluid to exhaust opening 245a, portion 233b may be provided with features that form additional exhaust openings 245b at the opposite end of cooling manifold 232 to allow cooling fluid to escape from cooling manifold 232 in a direction parallel to central axis 224.

[0083] As will be appreciated, cooling manifolds such as cooling manifold 232 may be provided with a single piece or a multi-piece design, and with or without internal cooling portions, such as portion 233c.

[0084] It will be further understood that while the inductor 220 used in the above examples features a coil portion in which the inductor wire is wound helically at a pitch equal to the diameter of the inductor wire such that each turn of the inductor wire contacts the adjacent turn or turns of the inductor wire (thus effectively forming a solid-walled tube), a similar cooling manifold may be used with inductors in which the windings are wound at a pitch greater than the diameter of the inductor wire such that axial gaps exist between adjacent turns of the inductor wire, thereby allowing radial flow over the inductor wire.

[0085] Other electrical components that may require cooling may be of a different form factor than electrical component 218 / inductor 220. For example, some electrical components may have a package exterior that is a prismatic or tapered prismatic solid. Such electrical components may be mounted to a substrate, for example, via soldering, and then covered with a cooling manifold having one or more pockets or recesses on its backside that are positioned and sized to accommodate one or more of the electrical components, respectively, when the cooling manifold is placed against the substrate.

[0086] 10 and 11 are isometric and exploded isometric views, respectively, of an exemplary apparatus featuring surface-mounted electrical components and a cooling manifold configured to direct cooling fluid over such components.

[0087] 10 and 11, a substrate 1016 is provided having mounted thereon a number of electrical components 1018, which in this example are surface mount capacitors 1028 and terminal lugs or studs 1030. The terminal lugs or studs 1030 may be, for example, threaded or unthreaded (either male or female) studs designed to allow for high voltage electrical connections.

[0088] Also visible in Figures 10 and 11 is cooling manifold 1032. Cooling manifold 1032 has two distinct portions 1033a and 1033b shown as a single, integrated part, although it will be understood that either portion may be provided as a separate, stand-alone cooling manifold.

[0089] The first portion 1033a of the cooling manifold 1032 has a generally rectangular footprint and is designed to cover surface mounted electrical components such as the capacitor 1028. Of course, the footprint of this portion may be adjusted to accommodate if the surface mounted component(s) to be cooled are arranged differently than shown (e.g., in a line). Generally speaking, the footprint of such a cooling manifold may be large enough to completely accommodate the various electrical components to be cooled and may be sized large enough so that there is clearance between the perimeter of this portion of the cooling manifold and the electrical components to be cooled.

[0090] The second portion 1033b of the cooling manifold 1032 includes a system of branching passages each leading to a different collar element 1035. The collar elements 1035 in this example are intended to surround, but not necessarily cap, the terminal lugs or studs 1030. Cooling fluid may be directed to the collar elements 1035 via the branching passages.

[0091] When the cooling manifold 1032 interfaces with the electrical component 1018 / capacitor 1028 or terminal lug or stud 1030 , the bottom of the cooling manifold 1032 may be pressed against the substrate 1016 to store the capacitor 1028 between the substrate 1016 and the cooling manifold 1032 .

[0092] 12 and 13 are plan and side views, respectively, of the device of FIGS. 10 and 11, showing the cutting lines used in FIGS. 14, 15, and 16, which will be described later.

[0093] Figure 14 is a cross-sectional view taken along the major axis of the first portion 1033a of the cooling manifold 1032, and Figure 15 is a cross-sectional view taken along the major axis of the first portion 1033a of the cooling manifold 1032. Figure 16 is a cross-sectional view of the cooling manifold 1032 in a plane parallel to and somewhat offset from the substrate 1016.

[0094] 14 and 15 , the first portion 1033a of the cooling manifold 1032 has a series of openings (not numbered) that each lead to a blind cavity 1046. Each of the blind cavities 1046 is positioned in register with one of the capacitors 1028, such that each capacitor 1028 is received in the corresponding blind cavity 1046 when the first portion 1033a of the cooling manifold 1032 is installed over the capacitors 1028. Each blind cavity 1046 is sized such that a clearance region 1039a exists between one or more surfaces of the blind cavity 1046 and one or more outer surfaces of the capacitor 1028 (or any other electrical component received in the blind cavity 1046) received therein. Each clearance region 1039a in this example extends across five sides of the corresponding capacitor 1028. The clearance areas 1039a may vary in thickness as shown due to factors such as variations in the size of the capacitors 1028 and variations in the position of the capacitors 1028 relative to each other and relative to the substrate 1016 due to the precision with which the capacitors 1028 are positioned when soldered in place on the substrate 1016. However, the clearance areas 1039a may typically be small in size, for example, similar to the dimensions discussed above.

[0095] It will be appreciated that each blind cavity 1046 typically has a shape that generally conforms to the shape of the electrical component it houses (albeit offset outwardly), such offset defining a clearance area 1039a within the blind cavity 1046 to facilitate the flow of cooling fluid.

[0096] In the depicted example, each blind cavity 1046 is provided with cooling fluid by a set of four outlet ports 1034 arranged in a circular or rectangular array to evenly distribute the cooling fluid to the electrical components 1018 being cooled. (In FIG. 14 , location 1034′ indicates an auxiliary chamber, each of which leads to two outlet ports 1034 located on opposite sides of the cut plane of FIG. 14 .) Of course, more or fewer outlet ports 1034 may be provided in each blind cavity 1046, depending on the required fluid flow rate and / or outlet port size. Generally speaking, the outlet ports may be sized to have a cross-sectional area that is at least 10 times smaller than the cross-sectional area of ​​the internal passageway supplying the cooling fluid to aid in maintaining adequate back pressure and relatively even distribution of the cooling fluid to each outlet port 1034. Alternatively, an equivalent flow restriction may be provided in the internal passageway itself, as shown, for example, by flow restriction 1037 disposed in internal passageway 1038 so as to be interposed between outlet port 1034 and collar element 1035 used to cool terminal lug or stud 1030. Cooling fluid provided by outlet port 1034 may flow through clearance area 1039a before exiting cooling manifold 1032 via exhaust opening 1045a. Exhaust opening 1045a may be similar to exhaust opening 245 described above, for example. For example, exhaust opening 1045a may be provided by holes or slits in substrate 1016 and / or cooling manifold 1032, or, as shown in FIG. 15 , by providing a recess in the bottom edge of cooling manifold 1032 such that a slit-like gap is formed between the bottom edge of cooling manifold 1032 and substrate 1016 when cooling manifold 1032 is seated against substrate 1016.

[0097] The collar elements 1035 may be arranged as described above, with each collar element 1035 surrounding a different terminal lug or stud 1030. For example, the collar elements 1035 may each have an inner diameter sized larger than the diameter of the corresponding terminal lug or stud 1030 that they are designed to surround, thereby forming an annular clearance region 1039b around the terminal lug or stud 1030 through which a cooling fluid can flow to cool that terminal lug or stud 1030. The substrate 1016 may cap one end of the clearance region 1039b, acting to restrict the flow of cooling fluid around the terminal lug or stud 1030. The other end of the clearance region 1039b may be capped by a flange or shoulder portion of the collar element 1035 that extends radially inward to a diameter smaller than the diameter of the collar element 1035 where the clearance region 1039b resides. The flange or shoulder portion of the collar element thus acts similarly to the substrate in that it impedes the axial flow of cooling fluid and restricts the cooling fluid to flow circumferentially around the terminal lug or stud 1030. The gap region 1039b of each collar element 1035 may be fluidly connected to a corresponding internal passageway 1038, for example, via an opening (which may function as an exit port) in a surface of the collar element 1035 that defines the outer boundary of that gap region 1039b, thereby allowing cooling fluid from the internal passageway 1038 to be routed to the gap region 1039b.

[0098] The flange portion or shoulder portion may, for example, have a notch or gap therein located generally opposite the point where the internal passageway 1038 fluidly connects with the gap region 1039b. Such a gap or notch may therefore function as an exhaust opening 1045b that allows cooling fluid flowing around the terminal lug or stud 1030 to exit the collar element 1035, thereby maintaining a constant flow of cooling fluid over the terminal lug or stud 1030.

[0099] In the above examples, the cooling manifold is designed so that the electrical component(s) to be cooled can be inserted into a blind cavity of the cooling manifold that has one or more outlet ports for flowing cooling fluid directly onto the surface or surfaces of the electrical component(s). When such a cooling manifold is installed relative to a substrate on which such electrical component(s) are mounted, the electrical component(s) in question are effectively entirely contained within a chamber defined by the substrate and the cooling manifold, with only limited openings, such as an outlet port for providing cooling fluid to the chamber and an exhaust opening for exhausting cooling fluid from the chamber.

[0100] However, as discussed above with respect to Figure 1, some cooling manifolds may be designed to be inserted into the electrical components they are intended to cool. The embodiments of Figures 8 and 9 do indeed feature such cooling manifolds, but are depicted as portions of a cooling manifold designed to completely encase the electrical components to be cooled.

[0101] Figure 17 shows an example of an electrical component, e.g., a toroidal inductor, having a cooling manifold designed to be inserted into the electrical component. Figure 18 shows the example device of Figure 17 in an exploded state. Figure 19 shows a top view of the example device of Figure 17 with cut lines indicating the cut surfaces of Figures 20 and 21. Figure 20 is a cross-sectional view of the example device of Figure 17 taken along cut line 20 in Figure 19, and Figure 21 is a cross-sectional view of the example device of Figure 17 taken along cut line 21 in Figure 19.

[0102] 17-21, there is shown a device 1700 including, for example, an electrical component 1718, such as a toroidal solid core inductor 1726, which may feature a tubular or toroidal core 1727 made from a ferrous material. The coil portion 1722 of the toroidal inductor 1726 may be provided by wrapping a conductor, such as copper wire, around the toroidal core such that the copper wire forms an inductor coil that follows a circular path defined by the toroidal core 1727. The toroidal inductor 1726 may thus have an overall tubular or annular shape with a cylindrical open space therebetween.

[0103] 18, a cooling manifold 1732 is provided that is sized and shaped to be at least partially inserted into the center of the toroidal inductor 1726. For example, a portion of the cooling manifold 1732 is cylindrical and has a diameter that is slightly smaller than the smallest inner diameter of the toroidal inductor 1726. This allows the cylindrical portion of the cooling manifold 1732 to be inserted into the open cylindrical space of the toroidal inductor 1726.

[0104] 20 and 21 , the cooling manifold 1732 may have an internal passage 1738a that expands within the cooling manifold 1732 into a larger, pre-chamber-like internal passage 1738b before passing through a flow restriction 1737 and being distributed among outlet ports 1734. The outlet ports 1734 may be positioned in a circular array about the central axis of the toroidal inductor 1726 to direct cooling fluid from the internal passage 1738b into an annular gap region 1739 between the cooling manifold 1732 and the coil portion 1722 of the toroidal inductor 1726.

[0105] If desired, one end of the toroidal inductor 1726 may be capped with a capping structure 1758 or similar end structure, e.g., an end plate, that may act to block or impede fluid flow from an interior region of the toroidal inductor 1726 in one direction along the central axis 1724 of the toroidal inductor 1726. The capping structure 1758 in this example is coupled to the cooling manifold 1732 with a threaded fastener 1760 and a washer 1762, which may be inserted through the washer 1762 and the capping structure 1758 and threaded into a threaded hole at the end of the cooling manifold 1732. In some cases, a sealant, e.g., silicone or other flowable gap filler / adhesive, may be poured into the space between the toroidal core 1727 and the capping structure 1758 to fill gaps between the windings of the coil portion 1722 in that space and more effectively seal the space.

[0106] As is evident from the above examples, cooling manifolds embodying the concepts described herein may be designed, at least in part, to generally conform to a portion of an electrical component to be cooled. That is, they may be sized to fit over or within such an electrical component, such that one or more surfaces of the electrical component are within a minimum distance from the nearest (but not mutually contacting) surface or surfaces of the cooling manifold, thereby creating one or more clearance areas between the electrical component being cooled and the cooling manifold providing the cooling. Such clearance areas may be very small and may serve to restrict the flow of air around the electrical component (or portion thereof over which the clearance area(s) reside), thereby ensuring that all or nearly all of the air flowing through the clearance area is effective in providing cooling to the component to be cooled (as opposed to only a small portion of the air flowing through an enclosure using fan-based cooling, which is typically effective in providing cooling). Such cooling manifolds may each be supplied with a cooling fluid, such as CDA, via flexible flow conduits, rigid flow conduits, or a combination of flexible and rigid flow conduits. This allows for targeted, direct impingement cooling of selected electrical components, significantly increasing cooling efficiency compared to fan-based cooling systems, reducing system noise, and simplifying monitoring of the cooling system.

[0107] FIG. 22 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary cooling control system using the concepts described herein. As shown in FIG. 22, multiple housings 2254 are depicted. Each housing houses multiple electrical components to be cooled, e.g., electrical components 2218a / b / c. Each housing also houses multiple cooling manifolds 2232, e.g., cooling manifolds 2232a / b / c, each of which is fluidly connected to a housing manifold 2270 by a separate flow conduit, e.g., length of flexible and / or rigid tubing. Each housing manifold 2270 is fluidly connected to a corresponding pressure sensor 2272. All of the housing manifolds 2270 are also fluidly connected to a distribution manifold 2268 located within a cooling control system 2276. A cooling fluid, e.g., CDA, may be provided to the cooling control system 2276 from a CDA source 2242, e.g., a facility CDA source. The cooling fluid flows through a pressure regulator 2264 to adjust the maximum downstream pressure of the cooling fluid, and then through a valve 2265, which can be used to turn the coolant flow on and off. The cooling fluid may then be flowed through a flow meter to monitor the amount of cooling fluid being flowed before being provided to a distribution manifold 2268, which may then distribute the cooling fluid to the different housings 2254. Alternatively, or in place of such a flow meter, other types of flow sensors may be used, such as a pressure sensor taking pressure measurements at two different locations along the venturi, such as a first port located at the smallest diameter of the venturi and a second port located upstream of the first port at the largest diameter of the venturi.

[0108] The refrigeration control system may also include a multi-channel pressure monitoring system 2274, which may be communicatively connected to the pressure sensors 2272, thereby allowing pressure data from the pressure sensors 2272 to be monitored over time. As previously mentioned, if the pressure measured at a particular housing manifold 2270 varies from a predetermined baseline or steady-state level, this may indicate a fault condition that the refrigeration control system 2276 may flag via a notification or alarm. For example, if the pressure within the housing manifold 2270 begins to rise, this may indicate that there is a blockage in one or more of the cooling manifolds 2232 (or the flow conduits leading thereto) in the associated housing 2254. Similarly, if the pressure within the housing manifold 2270 begins to drop, this may indicate that a flow conduit has become dislodged, ruptured, or disconnected, and the refrigeration control system may similarly send a notification or alarm indicating a potential fault condition.

[0109] The cooling manifolds described herein may be made from any suitable material, although non-conductive materials such as polymers may be preferred to avoid the risk of electrical shorts. In particular, such cooling manifolds may optionally be made from high-temperature plastics, such as plastics that are flame-retardant and can withstand temperatures of at least 100° C. If desired, such manifolds may be fabricated using additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing.

[0110] As mentioned above, the cooling systems described herein may be controlled using a cooling control system such as that described above with respect to Figure 22. Such a cooling control system may be communicatively coupled to or may be part of a larger controller or control system for controlling, for example, one or more semiconductor processing tools and / or chambers having the cooling system(s).

[0111] The systems described above may be integrated with electronics for controlling the operation of the system before and after processing of the semiconductor wafer or substrate. This electronics may be referred to as a “controller,” which may control various components or subcomponents of the system(s). The controller may be programmed to control any of the systems disclosed herein depending on the processing requirements and / or type of system, such as operation of various valves that may control the flow of cooling fluid, operation of other valves and / or pumps that may control the evacuation of gases such as pulling a vacuum, operation of heater elements within the pedestal assembly, operation of various valves that may control the flow of process gases, operation of a vertical lift mechanism to move the pedestal assembly and / or showerhead and / or lift pins up and down, operation of an electrostatic chuck or clamping electrode, or various other components that may be included in or provided in connection with the cooling systems described herein.

[0112] Broadly speaking, a controller may be defined as an electronic device having various integrated circuits, logic, memory, and / or software that, for example, receive instructions, issue instructions, control operations, enable cleaning operations, enable endpoint measurements, etc. Integrated circuits may include chips in the form of firmware that store program instructions, digital signal processors (DSPs), chips defined as application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), and / or one or more microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute program instructions (e.g., software). Program instructions may be in the form of various personalizations (or program files) communicated to the controller that define operational parameters for performing specific operations using the cooling systems disclosed herein.

[0113] In some embodiments, the controller may be part of, or coupled to, a computer integrated with, coupled to, or otherwise networked to the system, or a combination thereof. For example, the controller may be all or part of a host computer system in the “cloud” or at a fab that enables remote access to wafer processing. This computer may provide remote access to the system to monitor the current progress of manufacturing operations, review the history of past manufacturing operations, and review trends or performance criteria from multiple manufacturing operations to modify parameters of a current process, configure processing steps following a current process, or initiate a new process. In some examples, a remote computer (e.g., a server) may provide process recipes to the system over a network, which may include a local network or the Internet. The remote computer may include a user interface that enables input or programming of parameters and / or settings, which are then communicated to the system from the remote computer. In some examples, the controller receives instructions in the form of data defining parameters for each processing step performed during one or more operations. It should be understood that the parameters may be specific to the type of process being performed or the type of tool the controller is configured to interface with or control. Thus, as discussed above, the controller may be distributed, such as by including one or more separate controllers networked together and working toward a common purpose, such as a process or control, as described herein. An example of a distributed controller for such purposes includes one or more integrated circuits (such as integrated circuits that are part of a pressure sensor system) in an enclosure containing the components to be cooled that communicate with one or more remotely located integrated circuits (e.g., at the platform level or as part of a remote computer) combined to monitor the operation of the cooling system described herein.

[0114] Without limitation, the cooling systems described herein may be connected to one or more other pieces of equipment, such as a plasma etch chamber or module, a deposition chamber or module, a spin rinse chamber or module, a metal plating chamber or module, a clean chamber or module, a bevel edge etch chamber or module, a physical vapor deposition (PVD) chamber or module, a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) chamber or module, an atomic layer deposition (ALD) chamber or module, an atomic layer etch (ALE) chamber or module, an ion implantation chamber or module, a track chamber or module, or any other semiconductor processing system that may be associated with or used in the fabrication and / or production of semiconductor wafers.

[0115] As described above, depending on the process step or steps being performed by the tool, the controller may communicate with one or more other tool circuits or modules, other tool components, cluster tools, other tool interfaces, adjacent tools, nearby tools, tools installed throughout the factory, a main computer, other controllers, or tools used in material transport to and from tool locations and / or load ports of wafer containers, e.g., FOUPs, within a semiconductor manufacturing factory.

[0116] For purposes of this disclosure, the term "fluidically connected" is used to refer to volumes, plenums, bores, etc. that may be connected to one another, either directly or through one or more intervening components or volumes, to form a fluid connection, just as the term "electrically connected" is used to refer to components that are interconnected to form an electrical connection. The term "fluidically interposed" may be used to refer to a component, volume, plenum, or bore that is fluidly connected to at least two other components, volumes, plenums, or bores, such that fluid flowing from one of the other components, volumes, plenums, or bores to the other or one of the other components, volumes, plenums, or bores must first flow through the "fluidically interposed" component before reaching the other or one of the other components, volumes, plenums, or bores. For example, if a pump is fluidly interposed between a reservoir and an outlet, fluid flowing from the reservoir to the outlet will first flow through the pump before reaching the outlet. The term "fluidically adjacent," when used herein, refers to the placement of a fluid element relative to another fluid element such that no structure is fluidly disposed between the two elements that could potentially impede fluid flow between the two elements. For example, in a flow path having a first valve, a second valve, and a third valve disposed sequentially along the flow path, the first valve is fluidly adjacent to the second valve, the second valve is fluidly adjacent to both the first and third valves, and the third valve is fluidly adjacent to the second valve.

[0117] In this disclosure and in the claims, the use of ordinal designations, e.g., (a), (b), (c), etc., or (1), (2), (3), etc., should be understood as not conveying a particular order or sequence unless such order or sequence is explicitly indicated. For example, when there are three steps labeled (i), (ii), and (iii), it should be understood that these steps may be performed in any order (including simultaneously, unless contraindicated) unless otherwise indicated. For example, if step (ii) involves the manipulation of an element created in step (i), step (ii) may be considered to occur at some point after step (i). Similarly, if step (i) involves the manipulation of an element created in step (ii), it should be understood that the opposite is true. It should also be understood that the use of the ordinal designation "first" herein, e.g., "first item," should not be construed as implying, implicitly or inherently, that a "second" instance necessarily exists, e.g., "second item." It should also be understood that the use of an ordinal designation that would typically follow a lower-valued or lower-ranked ordinal designation should not be construed as requiring the presence of a similar element having a lower-valued or lower-ranked ordinal designation. For example, if a claim refers to a "second item," but the claim (or, in the case of a dependent claim, its parent claim) makes no reference to a "first item," this should not be construed to mean that the claim implicitly includes within its scope the "first item."

[0118] As used herein, expressions such as "for each / each <item> of one or more <items>," "for each / each <item> of one or more <items>," and the like, are intended to include both single items and multiple items; i.e., the phrase "for each / each..." is used in the sense used in programming languages ​​to refer to each item, whatever the collection of items referred to. For example, if the collection of items referred to is a single item, "each / each" refers only to that single item (even though dictionary definitions of "each / each" often define "each / each" as referring to "one and only one of two or more things") and does not imply that there must be at least two of that item. Similarly, the terms "set" or "subset," by themselves, should not be considered to necessarily encompass multiple items. It will be understood that a set or subset can include only one member or multiple members (unless the context suggests otherwise).

[0119] As used herein, the term "between," when used in conjunction with a range of values, is understood to include both the beginning and ending values ​​of the range unless otherwise indicated. For example, a range between 1 and 5 is understood to include the numbers 2, 3, and 4 as well as the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.

[0120] The term "operably connected" should be understood to refer to two components and / or systems being directly or indirectly connected, such that, for example, at least one component or system can control the other. For example, a controller may be described as being operably connected to a resistive heating unit, which includes the controller being connected to a sub-controller of the resistive heating unit. The sub-controller is electrically connected to a repeater, which is controllably configured to connect or disconnect the resistive heating unit from a power source, and the power source provides an amount of power capable of powering the resistive heating unit to produce a desired degree of heating. While the controller itself likely cannot directly provide such power to the resistive heating unit due to the currents involved, the controller will still be understood to be operably connected to the resistive heating unit.

[0121] It is understood that the examples and embodiments described herein are for illustrative purposes only and that various modifications or changes will be suggested to those skilled in the art upon consideration thereof. Various details have been omitted for clarity, and various design alternatives may be implemented. Accordingly, the examples are considered to be illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not limited to the details set forth herein, but may be modified within the scope of the disclosure.

[0122] It should be understood that the above disclosure, while focusing on a particular exemplary embodiment or embodiments, is not limited to only the above-described examples, but may also apply to similar variations and mechanisms, and such similar variations and mechanisms are also considered to be within the scope of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. 1. An apparatus comprising: one or more electrical components; one or more flow conduits; one or more cooling manifolds; each of the cooling manifolds includes one or more outlet ports configured such that the fluid impinges on at least a surface of at least one of the electrical components as the fluid exits the cooling manifold through the outlet port; each of the cooling manifolds also includes one or more internal passages, each of the internal passages leading to one or more of the outlet ports of the cooling manifold; the one or more internal passages of each of the cooling manifolds are fluidly connected to one or more inlets; each of the flow conduits is fluidly connected to one of the one or more inlets; The flow conduit is configured to receive the fluid.

2. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, A device wherein at least one of the outlet ports is in fluid communication with ambient air surrounding the device.

3. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, A device wherein all of said outlet ports are in fluid communication with ambient air surrounding said device.

4. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The apparatus, wherein the one or more flow conduits are configured to be fluidly connected to a source of clean, dry air.

5. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, The apparatus, wherein the one or more flow conduits are fluidly connected to a source of clean, dry air.

6. 10. The apparatus of claim 1, the one or more cooling manifolds include a first cooling manifold having a first opening communicating with a corresponding first blind cavity; the first blind cavity is configured to allow insertion of one or more corresponding first electrical components of the one or more electrical components; the first blind cavity has a corresponding first bottom surface opposite the corresponding first opening; wherein one or more first outlet ports of the one or more outlet ports are disposed on the first bottom surface.

7. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, the one or more first electrical components comprising a first inductor including a coil portion in which a conductor spirals around a central axis; the coil portion has a coil radius relative to the central axis; the first bottom surface has an arcuate cross-sectional profile with a first radius greater than the coil radius; The first opening is sized to accommodate the coil portion.

8. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, the first blind cavity has at least one end surface; The apparatus, wherein each of the end surfaces is configured to be on the coil portion near one or the other end of the coil portion.

9. 9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or 8, comprising: the one or more first outlet ports comprise at least two first outlet ports; The apparatus, wherein each of the at least two first outlet ports is disposed at a different normal distance from a plane perpendicular to the central axis.

10. 10. The apparatus of claim 9, The at least two first outlet ports are spaced apart along a first axis parallel to the central axis.

11. 11. The apparatus of claim 10, the first cooling manifold further comprising one or more rib walls; each of the rib walls is disposed on the first bottom surface between two of the first outlet ports that are spaced apart along the first axis.

12. 9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, comprising: Further comprising a first substrate; the first substrate has an electrical trace electrically connected to the first inductor; The apparatus, wherein the first opening of the first cooling manifold is adjacent to the first substrate.

13. 9. An apparatus according to claim 7 or claim 8, comprising: The apparatus, wherein the first radius is less than about 3 mm larger than the coil radius.

14. 9. An apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising: the one or more cooling manifolds include a second cooling manifold having one or more second openings, each of the second openings communicating with a corresponding second blind cavity; each of the second blind cavities is configured to allow insertion of a corresponding one or more second electrical components of the one or more electrical components; Each of the second blind cavities has a corresponding second bottom surface opposite the corresponding second opening; wherein one or more second outlet ports of the one or more outlet ports are disposed on the second bottom surface.

15. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, each of the second blind cavities has a cross-section in a plane parallel to the second bottom surface of the second blind cavity that is larger than a total cross-sectional area of ​​the one or more second electrical components corresponding to the second blind cavity in the plane.

16. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, the second bottom surface of each of the second blind cavities is spaced apart from the corresponding one or more second electrical components in the second blind cavity by no more than a second amount in a direction perpendicular to the second bottom surface.

17. 17. The apparatus of claim 16, The apparatus, wherein the second amount is 2.5 mm.

18. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, The apparatus, wherein each of the second blind cavities has one or more sides spaced apart from the corresponding one or more second electrical components within the second blind cavity by no more than a third amount.

19. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, a plurality of second outlet ports disposed on the at least one second bottom surface; The device, wherein the plurality of second outlet ports disposed on at least one of the second bottom surfaces are arranged in a rectangular or circular array.

20. 15. The apparatus of claim 14, the one or more electrical components include a third electrical component; the one or more cooling manifolds comprise a third cooling manifold; the third electrical component is a second inductor that surrounds at least a portion of the third cooling manifold; the one or more outlet ports include a plurality of third outlet ports; the third outlet port is disposed along an outer periphery or periphery of a portion of the third cooling manifold that is surrounded by the third electrical component and is configured to direct fluid flowing from the third cooling manifold through the third outlet port to an inner surface of the second inductor.

21. 21. The apparatus of claim 20, Further comprising a capping structure, The capping structure prevents fluid flow from an end region of the second inductor in a direction coincident with a central axis of the second inductor.

22. 22. The apparatus of claim 21, The apparatus, wherein the third electrical component is a toroidal core inductor.

23. 23. The apparatus of claim 22, the one or more electrical components comprising one or more terminal lugs or studs; the one or more cooling manifolds include a fourth cooling manifold having one or more collar elements; each of said collar elements having an opening through which a corresponding one of said terminal lugs or studs extends; the collar elements each have a region where an inner surface of the collar element is offset radially outward from the terminal lug or stud extending therethrough, and where at least one of the one or more outlet ports is located therein.

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