Heat generating element cooling structure and manufacturing method thereof

Abstract

A method for manufacturing a heat-generating element cooling structure uses a press die method to manufacture multiple products.Problem: To provide a heat-generating element cooling structure and a method for manufacturing the same that can improve productivity of multiple products. a process for manufacturing an upper plate including a column unit; a process for manufacturing a lower plate using the press die method; a process for forming a wick unit on at least one of the inner surface of the upper plate and the inner surface of the lower plate using a laser; and a process for joining the upper plate and the lower plate.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a heat-generating element cooling structure and a method for manufacturing the same. [Background technology]

[0002] The material described in this section merely provides background information for the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0003] Electronic devices such as computers, servers, and high-performance antennas contain electronic components such as IC chips, CPUs, and transmitting / receiving elements. When these electronic devices operate, a large amount of heat is generated from the electronic components (hereinafter referred to as "heat-generating elements"). If the heat-generating elements are not cooled, their performance will be significantly reduced or, in some cases, they may even be damaged, making operation difficult. Therefore, the heat-generating elements must be cooled effectively.

[0004] In recent electronic devices, the spacing between components has become narrower due to slimmer designs, higher integration, and higher performance, resulting in increased heat loads. Therefore, cooling of heat-generating elements is essential, and most electronic devices are equipped with cooling devices to cool the heat-generating elements.

[0005] 2. Description of the Related Art Heat pipe type or vapor chamber type cooling devices are widely used, in which a refrigerant changes phase and circulates depending on the temperature difference around it.

[0006] Heat pipe type or vapor chamber type cooling devices have a hollow (or internal space) and a porous capillary wick part (capillary core part) manufactured by sintering inside a pipe-shaped (or panel) body tube (or body panel) made of a thermally conductive material.

[0007] When the capillary wick is manufactured only by the sintering method, there are limitations on the sintering process and sintering conditions, which reduces the productivity of the product.

[0008] In addition, heat pipe type or vapor chamber type cooling devices have the problem of complicated production processes and increased costs because various components, such as upper and lower plates, capillary structures, and pillar structures, are joined using methods such as brazing. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] According to an embodiment of the heat generating element cooling structure and manufacturing method thereof, the capillary wick portion is formed using a laser, thereby improving the productivity of the product.

[0010] According to one embodiment of the heat-generating element cooling structure and its manufacturing method, the upper plate, the lower plate, and the column portion are joined using a laser, thereby improving the productivity and economy of the product through a simple manufacturing process.

[0011] The problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to those mentioned above, and other problems not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description. [Means for solving the problem]

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for manufacturing a cooling structure for a heat-generating element, the method including: manufacturing an upper plate including a plurality of column units using a press die; manufacturing a lower plate using the press die; forming a wick unit on at least one of an inner surface of the upper plate and an inner surface of the lower plate using a laser; and joining the upper plate and the lower plate.

[0013] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a heat-generating element cooling structure including a lower plate, an upper plate configured to be joined to the inner surface of the lower plate to form an internal space, a column portion formed to be recessed in the outer surface of the upper plate and protrude to the inner surface of the upper plate, and a wick portion formed on at least one of the inner surface of the upper plate and the inner surface of the lower plate and configured to move the refrigerant. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to one embodiment, the heat generating element cooling structure and the manufacturing method thereof have the effect of improving productivity by forming the capillary wick portion using a laser.

[0015] According to one embodiment, the heat-generating element cooling structure and its manufacturing method simplifies the manufacturing process by joining the upper plate, the lower plate, and the column portion using a laser, thereby improving product productivity and reducing production costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a heat-generating element cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a perspective view of a heat-generating element cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is an exploded perspective view of a heat-generating element cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat-generating element cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing line spacing using a laser irradiator on a wick portion of a heat generating element cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 1A and 1B are diagrams showing the pattern shape of a wick portion of a heat generating element cooling structure according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Some embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. When assigning reference numerals to components in each drawing, it should be noted that the same reference numerals are used for the same components even if they appear in different drawings. Furthermore, when describing the present disclosure, if a detailed description of related known structures or functions is deemed to obscure the gist of the present disclosure, such a detailed description will be omitted.

[0018] In describing components of the embodiments of the present disclosure, reference numerals such as 1, 2, i), ii), a), b) may be used. Such reference numerals are used to distinguish the components from other components, and do not limit the essence, order, or sequence of the components. When a part in this specification refers to "including" or "comprising" a certain component, this does not mean that other components are excluded, but that other components may be further included, unless explicitly stated to the contrary.

[0019] FIG. 1 is a flowchart of a method for manufacturing a heat-generating element cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a heat-generating element cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0021] FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a heat generating element cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0022] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a heat-generating element cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] 1 to 4, a method for manufacturing a heat-generating element cooling structure 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a step of manufacturing an upper plate 210 and a lower plate 220 (S101). The upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 are manufactured using a press mold method.

[0024] The upper plate 210 includes a column unit 211, an internal space 212, and an injection port 213. The upper plate 210 is manufactured using a press die method so that the column unit 211 is integrally formed with the upper plate 210. The column unit 211 is recessed into the outer surface of the upper plate 210 and protrudes from the upper plate 210 in a direction to be joined with the lower plate 220. The upper plate 210 includes a plurality of column units 211 regularly arranged at regular intervals. However, the arrangement of the plurality of column units 211 is not limited thereto, and the plurality of column units 211 may be arranged irregularly.

[0025] The upper plate 210 is manufactured to have a predetermined thickness so that an internal space 212 configured to be filled with a refrigerant is formed between the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 when the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 are joined together.

[0026] The manufacturing method of the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 includes a process of forming a wick unit 230 on the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 (S103). The wick unit 230 is formed on the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 using a laser irradiator. The wick unit 230 is formed by applying heat to the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 using the high-integration energy of the laser to scratch or scratch the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 to a certain depth or more.

[0027] The wick unit 230 is formed on the remaining portion of the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the inner surface of the lower plate 220, excluding the portion where the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 are joined to each other. For example, the wick unit 230 may not be formed on the joining portion 211a and joining surface 215 of the column portion 211 that are joined to the lower plate 220, among the inner surfaces of the upper plate 210. The wick unit 230 may not be formed on the joining surface 225 of the lower plate 220 that is joined to the column portion 211 and the joining surface 215 of the upper plate 210, among the inner surfaces of the lower plate 220.

[0028] The manufacturing method of the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 includes a step of bonding the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 together (S105).

[0029] The upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 are joined using laser welding. A laser beam is irradiated perpendicularly onto the upper plate 210 from above the upper plate 210, so that the laser beam penetrates the upper plate 210 but does not penetrate the lower plate 220. By laser welding the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 together, the tensile strength and airtightness of the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 can be maintained despite the expansion force of the refrigerant filled in the internal space 212.

[0030] The manufacturing method of the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 includes a step of joining the column portion 211 and the lower plate 220 (S107).

[0031] The column portion 211 and the lower plate 220 are joined using laser welding. A laser beam is irradiated from above the upper plate 210 so as to be perpendicular to the upper plate 210 and point toward the recessed column portion 211 on the outer surface of the upper plate 210. The laser beam is irradiated so as to penetrate the column portion 211 but not the lower plate 220. By joining the column portion 211 and the lower plate 220, it is possible to prevent the column portion 211 from protruding convexly from the outer surface of the upper plate 210 due to expansion of the refrigerant filled in the internal space 212.

[0032] After joining the upper plate 210 and the column portion 211 to the lower plate 220, a refrigerant is injected into the internal space 212 to seal the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 (S109). After filling the interior of the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 with the refrigerant, the internal pressure is optimized using a vacuum pump or the like. Thereafter, the injection port 213 is joined using separate equipment to seal the heat-generating element cooling structure 200, thereby maintaining airtightness. After sealing, the injection port 213 may be cut off as needed.

[0033] The heat-generating element cooling structure 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a heat dissipation component that can apply a heat dissipation method that does not require a compressor to induce a phase change of a refrigerant. The structure is designed to cool a heat-generating element that generates heat by electrically driving it by transferring heat while causing a phase change using heat supplied from the outside under atmospheric pressure without using a compressor, and is applicable to vapor chambers, heat pipes, heat sinks, etc.

[0034] 2 to 4, a heat-generating element cooling structure 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes an upper plate 210 and a lower plate 220. The upper plate 210 includes a column portion 211, an internal space 212, an inlet 213, and a joint surface 215. The upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 each include a wick portion 230 on their inner surfaces.

[0035] A refrigerant is filled and flows in the internal space 212. The inner surface of the upper plate 210 includes a joining surface 215 of different heights so that the internal space 212 is formed between the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 when the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 are joined together. At this time, the joining surface 215 and the column portion 211 are at the same height so that the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 can be joined together.

[0036] The column portion 211 is integrally formed with the upper plate 210. The upper plate 210 is manufactured using a press die method so that the column portion 211 is integrally formed with the upper plate 210. The column portion 211 is recessed on the outer surface of the upper plate 210 and protrudes from the upper plate 210 in a direction that contacts the lower plate 220. The upper plate 210 includes a plurality of column portions 211 that are regularly arranged at regular intervals. However, the arrangement of the plurality of column portions 211 is not limited thereto, and the plurality of column portions 211 may be irregularly arranged.

[0037] The column portion 211 is formed to protrude in a columnar shape from the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and includes a joint portion 211a and an inclined portion 211b. The inclined portion 211b is formed to form a predetermined angle with the inner surface of the upper plate 210 rather than perpendicular to it. For example, the angle between the inclined portion 211b and the upper plate 210 is 45 degrees. This is because if the inclined portion 211b were perpendicular to the inner surface of the upper plate 210, it would be difficult to form a wick portion 230 on the inclined portion 211b. That is, in the heat-generating element cooling structure 200 according to the present disclosure, the inclined portion 211b of the column portion 211 is formed to form a predetermined angle with the upper plate 210 and the inclined portion 211b, and the wick portion 230 is also formed on the inclined portion 211b, thereby increasing capillary action and improving the mobility of the refrigerant filled inside, thereby maximizing the cooling effect of the heat-generating element.

[0038] The cross-sectional shape of the joint portion 211a is circular or polygonal. The column portion 211, which is composed of the joint portion 211a and the inclined portion 211b, has a truncated cone or a truncated polygonal pyramid shape. However, it should be clear that the shape of the column portion 211 is not limited thereto and may have various shapes that can perform the same function as the disclosed column portion 211.

[0039] A wick 230 is formed on the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220. The wick 230 is formed by applying heat to the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the inner surface of the lower plate 220 using the highly concentrated energy of a laser, thereby scratching or damaging the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the inner surface of the lower plate 220 to a certain depth or more. The wick 230 is formed to allow the refrigerant filled in the internal space 212 to flow using capillary action.

[0040] When heat is transferred from the heat-generating element disposed outside the lower plate 220 to the structure for cooling 200 for heat-generating elements, the refrigerant filled inside the structure for cooling 200 for heat-generating elements undergoes a phase change due to the transferred heat. The refrigerant that has undergone the phase change moves toward the upper plate 210 through the wick 230 due to surface tension and / or capillary force, transferring the heat, and the heat transferred to the upper plate 210 is released to the outside.

[0041] The wick 230 is formed on the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and / or the inner surface of the lower plate 220 in a portion where the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220 are not joined to each other. The wick 230 is formed on the remaining portion of the inner surface of the upper plate 210 excluding the portion joined to the lower plate 220. The wick 230 is not formed on the joining surface 215 of the upper plate 210 or the joining portion 211a of the column portion 211, but is formed on the inner surface of the upper plate 210 and the inclined portion 211b of the column portion 211, etc.

[0042] A wick 230 is formed on the remaining portion of the inner surface of the lower plate 220 excluding the portion bonded to the upper plate 210. A wick 230 is not formed on a bonding surface 225 of the lower plate 220 bonded to the upper plate 210. A plurality of bonding surfaces 225 are formed between the wicks 230 of the lower plate 220, which abut against the plurality of column portions 211. The plurality of bonding surfaces 225 are regularly arranged at regular intervals corresponding to the plurality of column portions 211. However, the arrangement of the plurality of bonding surfaces 225 is not limited thereto, and the plurality of bonding surfaces 225 may be irregularly arranged corresponding to the plurality of column portions 211.

[0043] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing line spacing using a laser irradiator on a wick portion of a heat generating element cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0044] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the pattern shape of a wick portion of a heat generating element cooling structure according to one embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0045] 5 and 6, the distance d between the lines irradiated with the laser beam is a minimum of 0.01 mm. If the distance d between the lines is too wide, the capillary force disappears, leaving no path for water, making it impossible to achieve anti-gravity properties. If the capillary force between the upper plate 210 (see FIG. 2, etc.) and the lower plate 220 (see FIG. 2, etc.) and the wick 230 (see FIG. 2, etc.) is weak, design restrictions arise, such as requiring the heat source to be positioned at a low position and the heat dissipation portion to be positioned at a high position, taking into account the flow of refrigerant due to temperature changes inside the heat-generating element cooling structure 200. Therefore, it is preferable to design the distance d between the lines irradiated with the laser beam to be limited to the extent that capillary force can be generated.

[0046] The wick portion 230 formed by the laser irradiator is processed into one or more patterns of a cross pattern (FIG. 6(a)) and a block pattern (FIG. 6(b)). Furthermore, although not shown in the drawings, it is processed into an "e" shaped pattern that continues continuously from the heat source to the heat dissipation portion.

[0047] The cooling structure for a heat-generating element 200 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure can use a laser irradiator to precisely and quickly form the wick portion 230. The cooling structure for a heat-generating element 200 has the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 fixed on a lathe, and a laser irradiator is installed on the lathe to irradiate a laser beam.

[0048] The moving speed and direction of the laser irradiator are set according to the pattern shape of the wick portion 230. For example, an appropriate mark speed is set to 300 mm / s. If the mark speed of the laser beam is too fast, the amount of heat transferred to the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 in the form of the laser beam is too small, making it impossible to form the wick portion 230 in the desired pattern. If the mark speed is too slow, the amount of heat transferred to the upper plate 210 and / or the lower plate 220 in the form of the laser beam is too large, resulting in a problem that the size of the wick portion 230 is deformed to a larger size than desired.

[0049] The oscillation frequency of the laser beam is set within the range of 20 to 40 kHz, and the laser beam is oscillated in pulse mode. When the upper plate 210 and the lower plate 220, which are the base material, are made of aluminum, the oscillation frequency of the laser beam of the laser irradiator for forming the wick portion 230 is most preferably within the range of 20 to 40 kHz.

[0050] The above description merely exemplifies the technical concept of the present embodiment, and various modifications and variations may be made by a person skilled in the art without departing from the essential characteristics of the present embodiment. Therefore, the present embodiment is intended to illustrate, rather than limit, the technical concept of the present embodiment, and the scope of the technical concept of the present embodiment is not limited by such an embodiment. The scope of protection of the present embodiment should be interpreted by the scope of the claims, and all technical concepts within the scope equivalent thereto should be interpreted as being included in the scope of rights of the present embodiment.

[0051] [CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION] This patent application claims priority to Patent Application No. 10-2021-0163821 filed in Korea on November 24, 2021, and Patent Application No. 10-2022-0155784 filed in Korea on November 18, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 200 Heat-generating element cooling structure 210 Upper Plate 211 Column Section 220 Lower Plate 230 Wick

Claims

1. manufacturing an upper plate including a plurality of column units using a press die; manufacturing a lower plate using the press die method; a wick unit forming process for forming a wick unit on at least one of the inner surface of the upper plate and the inner surface of the lower plate using a laser in a remaining portion excluding a portion where the upper plate and the lower plate are joined and a portion where the column portion and the lower plate are joined; a step of joining the upper plate and the lower plate using a laser, wherein the laser beam is irradiated so as to penetrate the upper plate but not the lower plate; a step of joining the column portion to the lower plate using a laser, wherein the laser beam is irradiated so as to penetrate the column portion but not the lower plate; A method for manufacturing a heat-generating element cooling structure, comprising:

2. The process of manufacturing the upper plate comprises: The method for manufacturing a cooling structure for a heat-generating element according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of forming the column portion so that it is recessed into the outer surface of the upper plate and protrudes from the inner surface of the upper plate.

3. The method for manufacturing a heat generating element cooling structure according to claim 1 , further comprising the step of injecting a coolant into the heat generating element cooling structure and sealing the heat generating element cooling structure.

4. A lower plate; an upper plate configured to be directly laser-bonded to an inner surface of the lower plate to form an internal space; a column portion formed to be recessed from an outer surface of the upper plate and protrude from an inner surface of the upper plate, and directly laser-bonded to the inner surface of the lower plate; a wick portion formed on at least one of an inner surface of the upper plate excluding a portion where the upper plate and the lower plate are joined and a portion where the column portion and the lower plate are joined, and an inner surface of the lower plate, and configured to move a refrigerant; wherein the outer surface of the upper plate has laser marks formed thereon, but the outer surface of the lower plate does not have laser marks formed thereon.

5. The column portion is The heat generating element cooling structure of claim 4 , which is integrally formed with the top plate.

6. The heat generating element cooling structure according to claim 4 , wherein the lower plate is disposed so that an outer surface thereof is in close contact with the heat generating element.

7. The heat-generating element cooling structure according to claim 4 , wherein the wick portion is configured to move the coolant by utilizing capillary action.

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