Heat dissipation assembly, motherboard module and electronic device

Abstract

A motherboard module includes a motherboard, a thermal interface material and a heat dissipation assembly. The motherboard includes a circuit board, a heat source and a plurality of on-board components. The heat source and the on-board components are disposed on the circuit board, and the on-board components are disposed around the heat source. The heat dissipation assembly includes a heat dissipation unit and an annular insulation component. The heat dissipation unit has a thermally coupling surface and a mount surface. The thermally coupling surface is thermally coupled to the heat source of the motherboard via the thermal interface material. The mount surface is located around the thermally coupling surface. The annular insulation component is fixed to the mount surface and is configured to contact the on-board components located around the heat source of the motherboard. The annular insulation component surrounds and limits the thermal interface material to separate the thermal interface material from the on-board components.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a heat sink assembly, a motherboard module, and an electronic device. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Liquid metal is a newly emerging thermal interface material in recent years, which has a relatively high thermal conductivity. Due to the high electrical conductivity and fluidity of liquid metal, if proper protective measures are not taken and liquid metal on the wafer spills out and comes into contact with the electronic components around the wafer, damage may occur.

[0003] To prevent liquid metal overflow, a common solution is to coat the chip with resin, which protects the components around the chip and also acts as a barrier to prevent liquid metal from overflowing from the chip area. Adding a heat dissipation module then seals the liquid metal between the chip and the heat dissipation module.

[0004] Although adding a resin enclosure can significantly reduce the possibility of overflow, if the resin surface becomes uneven during the coating process due to factors such as unevenness around the wafer, the liquid metal may leak out from tiny gaps due to insufficient sealing between the resin and the heat dissipation module. In view of this, researchers in the field are currently working to solve the aforementioned problems. [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] The present invention provides a heat sink assembly, a motherboard module and an electronic device that can prevent liquid metal from overflowing from the gap between the heat sink module and the resin, so as to ensure that the liquid metal does not come into contact with the electronic components around the chip.

[0006] One embodiment of the present invention discloses a motherboard module comprising a motherboard, a thermal interface material, and a heat sink assembly. The motherboard includes a circuit board, a heat source, and a plurality of on-board components. The heat source and the on-board components are disposed on the circuit board, and the on-board components are located around the heat source. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and an annular insulating member. The heat sink has a thermal coupling surface and a bonding surface. The thermal coupling surface is thermally coupled to the heat source of the motherboard through the thermal interface material, and the bonding surface is located around the thermal coupling surface. The annular insulating member is fixed to the bonding surface and configured to contact the on-board components surrounding the heat source of the motherboard. The annular insulating member surrounds and restricts the thermal interface material to maintain the separation between the thermal interface material and the on-board components.

[0007] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses a heat sink assembly for thermally coupling to a heat source on a motherboard through a thermal interface material. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and an annular insulating member. The heat sink has a thermal coupling surface and a mating surface, the thermal coupling surface being used for thermal coupling to the heat source on the motherboard through the thermal interface material, and the mating surface being located around the thermal coupling surface. The annular insulating member is fixed to the mating surface and configured to contact a plurality of on-board components surrounding the heat source on the motherboard. The annular insulating member is configured to surround and confine the thermal interface material to maintain separation between the thermal interface material and the on-board components.

[0008] Another embodiment of the present invention discloses an electronic device comprising a housing assembly and at least one motherboard module. The motherboard module is disposed within the housing assembly and includes a motherboard, a thermal interface material, and a heat sink assembly. The motherboard includes a circuit board, a heat source, and a plurality of on-board components. The heat source and the on-board components are disposed on the circuit board, and the on-board components are located around the heat source. The heat sink assembly includes a heat sink and an annular insulating member. The heat sink has a thermal coupling surface and a bonding surface. The thermal coupling surface is thermally coupled to the heat source of the motherboard through the thermal interface material, and the bonding surface is located around the thermal coupling surface. The annular insulating member is fixed to the bonding surface and configured to contact the on-board components surrounding the heat source of the motherboard. The annular insulating member surrounds and restricts the thermal interface material to maintain the thermal interface material separated from the on-board components.

[0009] According to the heat sink assembly, motherboard module and electronic device disclosed in the above embodiments, by means of the annular insulating member fixed to the joint surface around the heat coupling surface of the heat sink, and configured to contact the multiple components on the board around the heat source of the motherboard, the annular insulating member will not cause the problem of insufficient sealing between the annular insulating member and the heat sink due to the inconsistent height of these components on the board. Therefore, it can be ensured that the annular insulating member can effectively limit the thermal interface material to maintain the separation between the thermal interface material and the components on the board.

[0010] The above description of the content of the present invention and the following description of the embodiments are used to demonstrate and explain the principles of the present invention, and to provide a further explanation of the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

Implementation Method

[0011] Please refer to FIG1, which shows a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device 1 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The structural features of FIG1 can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention. The electronic device 1 includes a housing component 10 and at least one motherboard module 20. The motherboard module 20 is disposed within the housing component 10.

[0012] In some embodiments, the housing assembly 10 includes a cabinet 11 and a carrier 12. The carrier 12 is, for example, a tray or bracket, and is fixed inside the cabinet 11. The motherboard module 20 is disposed on the carrier 12. In other words, the motherboard module 20 is housed inside the cabinet 11 through the carrier 12.

[0013] Please refer to FIG2, which shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a motherboard module 20 according to some embodiments of the present invention. The structural features of FIG2 can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention.

[0014] The motherboard module 20 includes a motherboard 21, a thermal interface material 22, and a heat sink assembly 23. The motherboard 21 includes a circuit board 211, a heat source 212, and a plurality of on-board components 213. The heat source 212 and the on-board components 213 are disposed on the circuit board 211, and the on-board components 213 are located around the heat source 212. The heat sink assembly 23 includes a heat sink 231 and an annular insulating member 232. The heat sink 231 has a thermal coupling surface 2311 and a mating surface 2312. The thermal coupling surface 2311 is thermally coupled to the heat source 212 of the motherboard 21 through the thermal interface material 22, and the mating surface 2312 is located around the thermal coupling surface 2311. The annular insulating member 232 is fixed to the mating surface 2312 and configured to contact the on-board components 213 around the heat source 212 of the motherboard 21. The annular insulating element 232 surrounds and confines the thermal interface material 22 to maintain the thermal interface material 22 separated from the components 213 on the board.

[0015] In some embodiments, the heat source 212 of the motherboard 21 may be a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit. In some embodiments, the on-board component 213 may be an electronic component other than a central processing unit or a graphics processing unit, such as a capacitor.

[0016] In some embodiments, the motherboard 21 may further include an annular frame 214 disposed on the circuit board 211. The annular frame 214 contacts the outer edge of the heat source 212 and is located between the heat source 212 and the components 213 on the board. The annular frame 214 has an adjacent upper surface 2141 and a side surface 2142. The upper surface 2141 faces the mating surface 2312 of the heat sink 231, and the side surface 2142 faces the components 213 on the board. The two adjacent sides of the annular insulator 232 respectively contact the side surface 2142 of the annular frame 214 and the components 213 on the board.

[0017] In some embodiments, the thermal interface material 22 may be a metal that can change phase between liquid and solid states, and has thermal conductivity and high electrical conductivity.

[0018] In some embodiments, the heat sink 231 may be a cold plate, which allows working fluid to flow in and out, and has a fin structure therein, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the heat sink may be entirely composed of heat dissipation fins that are not for the flow of working fluid.

[0019] In some embodiments, the thermal coupling surface 2311 and the mating surface 2312 of the heat sink 231 may be coplanar, but this is not a limitation. In other embodiments, the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface of the heat sink may not be coplanar.

[0020] In some embodiments, the heat sink 231 may have a groove 2313 that separates the thermal coupling surface 2311 and the mating surface 2312. The orthographic projection of the groove 2313 is entirely located on the annular frame 214. That is, the groove 2313 is located directly above the annular frame 214. The groove 2313 is used to accommodate a portion of the thermal interface material 22.

[0021] In some embodiments, the groove 2313 may be annular, but is not limited thereto. In other embodiments, the groove may not be annular, and there may be multiple grooves arranged in a ring.

[0022] In some embodiments, the annular insulating member 232 is elastic and is made of, for example, resin. In some embodiments, the annular insulating member 232 is pre-fixed to the mating surface 2312 of the heat sink 231 before the heat sink assembly 23 is assembled to the motherboard 21, wherein the mating surface 2312 of the heat sink 231 may be a flat surface.

[0023] Next, the process of assembling the heat sink assembly 23 onto the motherboard 21 will be described below. First, as shown in FIG2, the thermal interface material 22 is disposed on the upper surface 2141 of the heat source 212 and the annular frame 214, wherein the thermal interface material 22 may be liquid or solid.

[0024] Next, please refer to FIG3. FIG3 shows a schematic diagram of the heat sink assembly 23 of the motherboard module 20 of some embodiments of the present invention placed on the motherboard 21. The structural features of FIG3 can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG3, the heat sink assembly 23 is placed on the motherboard 21 such that the thermal coupling surface 2311 of the heat sink 231 contacts the side of the thermal interface material 22 away from the heat source 212, and the two adjacent sides of the annular insulating member 232 respectively contact the side surface 2142 of the annular frame 214 and the components 213 on the board. At this time, the heat sink 231 is in a pressure-waiting state, and the liquid or solid thermal interface material 22 is not compressed and maintains a distance from the annular insulating member 232 to form a gap G. If the thermal interface material 22 is solid at this time, it is then heated to become liquid.

[0025] Next, please refer to FIG4. FIG4 shows a schematic diagram of the flow of thermal interface material 22 after the heat sink assembly 23 on the motherboard 21 is pressed down according to some embodiments of the present invention. The structural features of FIG4 can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG4, an external force is applied to the heat sink 231 in the direction of the heat source 212 to move the heat sink 231, so that the cold plate changes from a waiting state to a pressed state. At this time, some of the liquid thermal interface material 22 flows into the gap G (as shown in FIG3) and the groove 2313, and the thermal interface material 22 is separated from the components 213 on the board by the restriction of the annular insulating member 232. Thus, the process of assembling the heat sink assembly 23 onto the motherboard 21 is completed.

[0026] In the above embodiment, by fixing the annular insulating member 232 to the mating surface 2312 around the thermal coupling surface 2311 of the heat sink 231, and by configuring the annular insulating member 232 to contact the multiple on-board components 213 around the heat source 212 of the motherboard 21, the annular insulating member 232 will not have insufficient sealing between itself and the heat sink 231 due to the inconsistent height of these on-board components 213. Therefore, it can be ensured that the annular insulating member 232 can effectively limit the thermal interface material 22 to maintain the separation between the thermal interface material 22 and the on-board components 213.

[0027] Furthermore, by having the heat interface material 22 and the annular insulating member 232 maintain a distance to form a gap G when the heat sink 231 is in the pressurized state, and by having the heat sink 231 provided with a groove 2313, the heat interface material 22 flowing outward after the heat sink 231 is pressed down can be accommodated, thereby reducing the risk of the heat interface material 22 breaking through the restriction of the annular insulating member 232.

[0028] On the other hand, by separating the thermal coupling surface 2311 and the mating surface 2312 by the groove 2313 of the heat sink 231, and the configuration in which the orthographic projection of the groove 2313 is completely located on the annular frame 214, the position of the groove 2313 will not sacrifice the contact area between the heat source 212 and the thermal coupling surface 2311 of the heat sink 231, so as to avoid affecting the heat exchange efficiency between the heat source 212 and the heat sink 231.

[0029] It should be noted that the orthographic projection of the trench 2313 is not limited to being entirely located on the annular frame 214. In other embodiments, if the arrangement of the trench does not excessively affect the heat exchange efficiency between the heat source and the heat sink, the orthographic projection of the trench may be partially or completely located on the heat source. That is, the orthographic projection of the trench may be partially located on the annular frame, or the orthographic projection of the trench may not be located on the annular frame at all. On the other hand, the annular frame 214 is an optional element and may be omitted in other embodiments.

[0030] The above-mentioned configuration of gap G and groove 2313 is a selected structure, while in other embodiments, one of the configurations of gap and groove may be omitted or selected according to actual needs.

[0031] Next, please refer to FIG5, which shows a cross-sectional view of a motherboard module 20a according to some embodiments of the present invention. The structural features of FIG5 can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention.

[0032] The motherboard module 20a in Figure 5 is similar to the motherboard module 20 in Figure 4. The following mainly describes the differences between the two, while the similarities will not be repeated.

[0033] In the embodiment of FIG5, the groove 2143a is not provided on the heat sink 231a, but on the annular frame 214a, wherein the groove 2143a is recessed from the upper surface 2141a of the annular frame 214a and is used to accommodate a portion of the thermal interface material 22a.

[0034] Next, please refer to FIG6, which shows a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device 1b according to some embodiments of the present invention. The structural features of FIG6 can be applied to other embodiments of the present invention.

[0035] The electronic device 1b in Figure 6 is similar to the electronic device 1 in Figure 1. The following mainly describes the differences between the two, while the similarities will not be repeated.

[0036] In the embodiment of FIG. 6, the housing assembly 10b includes a tank 11b and a carrier 12b. The tank 11b is configured to contain a coolant C. The carrier 12b is, for example, a tray or bracket, and is fixed within the tank 11b. The motherboard module 20b is disposed on the carrier 12b. In other words, the motherboard module 20b is housed within the tank 11b via the carrier 12b, such that the motherboard module 20b is at least partially immersed in the coolant C.

[0037] In one embodiment, the heat sink 231b of the heat sink assembly 23b of the motherboard module 20b can be a boiling aid plate, on which a boiling aid structure 233b is provided. The function of the boiling aid structure 233b is to increase the number of bubble nucleation points, thereby generating more boiling bubbles per unit time, and to increase the contact area with the coolant C. Although the boiling aid structure 233b shown in FIG. 6 is simplified as a sheet-like body, in reality, the boiling aid structure 233b may include at least one of the following: a mesh metal structure, a sheet fin structure, a pin fin structure, or a sintered metal structure.

[0038] According to the heat sink assembly, motherboard module and electronic device disclosed in the above embodiments, by means of the annular insulating member fixed to the joint surface around the heat coupling surface of the heat sink, and configured to contact the multiple components on the board around the heat source of the motherboard, the annular insulating member will not cause the problem of insufficient sealing between the annular insulating member and the heat sink due to the inconsistent height of these components on the board. Therefore, it can be ensured that the annular insulating member can effectively limit the thermal interface material to maintain the separation between the thermal interface material and the components on the board.

[0039] Although the present invention has been disclosed above with reference to the preferred embodiments described above, it is not intended to limit the present invention. Any person skilled in the art may make some modifications and refinements without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of patent protection of the present invention shall be determined by the scope of the patent application attached to this specification. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0040] Figure 1 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2 shows an exploded cross-sectional view of a motherboard module according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 shows a schematic diagram of a heat sink assembly of a motherboard module according to some embodiments of the present invention placed on a motherboard. Figure 4 shows a schematic diagram of the flow of thermal interface material after the heat sink assembly on the motherboard is pressed down according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 5 shows a cross-sectional view of a motherboard module according to some embodiments of the present invention. Figure 6 shows a partial cross-sectional view of an electronic device according to some embodiments of the present invention.

Claims

1. A motherboard module, comprising: a motherboard including a circuit board, a heat source and a plurality of on-board components, the heat source and the on-board components being disposed on the circuit board and the on-board components being located around the heat source; a thermal interface material; and a heat sink assembly, comprising: a heat sink having a thermal coupling surface and a bonding surface, the thermal coupling surface being thermally coupled to the heat source of the motherboard through the thermal interface material, the bonding surface being located around the thermal coupling surface; and an annular insulating member fixed to the bonding surface and configured to contact the on-board components around the heat source of the motherboard, the annular insulating member surrounding and restricting the thermal interface material to maintain the thermal interface material being separated from the on-board components; The motherboard further includes an annular frame disposed on the circuit board. The annular frame contacts the outer edge of the heat source and is located between the heat source and the components on the board. The annular frame has an adjacent upper surface and a side surface. The upper surface faces the mating surface of the heat sink, and the side surface faces the components on the board. The two adjacent sides of the annular insulator respectively contact the side surface of the annular frame and the components on the board.

2. The motherboard module as described in claim 1, wherein the heat sink can be moved by an external force toward the heat source and change from a standby state to a pressurized state; when the heat sink is in the standby state, the thermal interface material maintains a distance from the annular insulating member to form a gap; when the heat sink is in the pressurized state, the thermal interface material flows into the gap.

3. The motherboard module as described in claim 1, wherein the thermal interface material is in a liquid state and not under pressure, or remains in a solid state, and is kept at a distance from the annular insulating member to form a gap; when the thermal interface material is in a liquid state and under pressure, or changes from a solid phase to a liquid state, the thermal interface material enters the gap.

4. The motherboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the annular frame has a groove formed by recessing from the upper surface, the groove accommodating a portion of the thermal interface material.

5. The motherboard module as claimed in claim 1, wherein the heat sink has a groove that separates the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface, the orthographic projection of the groove is entirely located on the annular frame, and the groove accommodates a portion of the thermal interface material.

6. The motherboard module as described in claim 4 or 5, wherein the groove is annular.

7. The motherboard module as described in claim 1, wherein the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface are coplanar.

8. The motherboard module as described in claim 1, wherein the heat sink is a cold plate.

9. A heat sink assembly for thermally coupling to a heat source on a motherboard through a thermal interface material, the heat sink assembly comprising: a heat sink having a thermal coupling surface and a mating surface, the thermal coupling surface being thermally coupled to the heat source on the motherboard through the thermal interface material, the mating surface being located around the thermal coupling surface; and an annular insulating member fixed to the mating surface and configured to contact a plurality of on-board components surrounding the heat source on the motherboard, the annular insulating member being configured to surround and confine the thermal interface material to maintain separation between the thermal interface material and the on-board components; wherein the motherboard further comprises an annular frame contacting the outer edge of the heat source and located between the heat source and the on-board components, the annular frame having an adjacent upper surface and a side surface, the upper surface facing the mating surface of the heat sink, the side surface facing the on-board components, and two adjacent sides of the annular insulating member respectively contacting the side surface of the annular frame and the on-board components.

10. The heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface are coplanar.

11. The heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 9, wherein the heat sink has a groove that separates the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface, the groove being used to accommodate a portion of the thermal interface material.

12. The heat sink assembly as claimed in claim 11, wherein the groove is annular.

13. The heat sink assembly as described in claim 9, wherein the heat sink is a cold plate.

14. An electronic device comprising: a housing assembly; and at least one motherboard module disposed within the housing assembly, and comprising: a motherboard including a circuit board, a heat source and a plurality of on-board components, the heat source and the on-board components being disposed on the circuit board and the on-board components being located around the heat source; a thermal interface material; and a heat sink assembly comprising: a heat sink having a thermal coupling surface and a bonding surface, the thermal coupling surface being thermally coupled to the heat source of the motherboard through the thermal interface material, the bonding surface being located around the thermal coupling surface; and an annular insulating member fixed to the bonding surface and configured to contact the on-board components around the heat source of the motherboard, the annular insulating member surrounding and restricting the thermal interface material to maintain the thermal interface material being separated from the on-board components; The motherboard further includes an annular frame disposed on the circuit board. The annular frame abuts against the outer edge of the heat source and is located between the heat source and the components on the board. The annular frame has an adjacent upper surface and a side surface. The upper surface faces the mating surface of the heat sink, and the side surface faces the components on the board. The two adjacent sides of the annular insulating member abut against the side surface of the annular frame and the components on the board, respectively.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the heat sink can be moved by an external force toward the heat source to change from a standby state to a pressurized state; when the heat sink is in the standby state, the thermal interface material maintains a distance from the annular insulating member to form a gap; when the heat sink is in the pressurized state, the thermal interface material flows into the gap.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the thermal interface material, when in a liquid and unpressurized state or when maintaining a solid state, maintains a distance from the annular insulating member to form a gap; and when the thermal interface material is in a liquid and pressurized state or changes from a solid phase to a liquid state, the thermal interface material enters the gap.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the annular frame has a groove formed by a recess in the upper surface, the groove accommodating a portion of the thermal interface material.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the heat sink has a groove that separates the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface, the orthographic projection of the groove is entirely located on the annular frame, and the groove accommodates a portion of the thermal interface material.

19. The electronic device as claimed in claim 17 or 18, wherein the trench is annular.

20. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the thermal coupling surface and the mating surface are coplanar.

21. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the housing component includes a tank configured to contain a coolant and the at least one motherboard module such that the at least one motherboard module is at least partially immersed in the coolant.

22. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein the housing component includes a cabinet configured to accommodate the at least one motherboard module.

Images