Electronic arrangement and method for forming an electronic arrangement

Abstract

The invention relates to an electronic arrangement (10), having a heat-generating component (16) which is at least indirectly connected at a surface (20) to a coolant guide element (22) produced in an additive method, wherein the coolant guide element (22) is coupled to a cooling element (32) on the side opposite the component (16) with the interposition of an integrally bonded connection (28), wherein a cooling medium (42) can flow through the cooling element (32), wherein the coolant guide element (22) forms a closed sealing contour (25) between the component (16) and the integrally bonded connection (28) with at least one side wall (23), which encloses at least a partial region of the surface (20) of the component (16).

Description

[0001] Description

[0002] Electronic arrangement and method for forming an electronic arrangement

[0003] Technical area

[0004] The invention relates to an electronic arrangement for cooling at least one heat-generating component, which is characterized by a particularly advantageous production of the elements required for cooling the component. Furthermore, the invention relates to a method for producing an electronic arrangement designed according to the invention, which serves in particular as a component of a control unit and a circuit carrier arranged in the control unit.

[0005] State of the art

[0006] From DE 102021 209482 A1, the applicant discloses an electronics arrangement in which a heat-generating component arranged between two circuit carriers is both electrically contacted and cooled. For this purpose, the component is connected at least indirectly to the respective circuit carrier on its two opposite sides using a heat sink manufactured using an additive process. The two heat sinks have through-openings through which a cooling medium, in particular air, can flow. The two heat sinks thus simultaneously form both the cooling element and the electrical connection element for the component to the respective circuit carrier.

[0007] Disclosure of the Invention The electronic assembly according to the invention with the features of claim 1 has the advantage that it enables a particularly simple and technically advantageous connection of the heat-generating component to be cooled to a (separate) heat sink. In particular, the electronic assembly according to the invention allows the use not only of gaseous cooling media, but also of liquid cooling media, in particular water. This enables a particularly high cooling performance.

[0008] The invention is based on the idea of ​​coupling the component to be cooled, for example an IC, to a cooling element via a surface of the component (housing) with the interposition of a coolant guide element, in particular produced in an additive process, wherein both the connection between the surface of the component and the coolant guide element, as well as between the coolant guide element and the cooling element, is designed to be sealed, and wherein a media access is formed from the cooling element via the coolant guide element in the direction of the component in order to enable the cooling medium to have the most direct effect possible on the component to be cooled.

[0009] Against the background of the above explanations, an electronic assembly according to the invention with the features of claim 1 therefore has (at least) one heat-generating, in particular waste heat-generating, component, which is connected at least indirectly on one surface, in particular to a coolant guide element produced using an additive process. The coolant guide element is coupled to a cooling element with the interposition of a material-to-material connection on the side opposite the component. Furthermore, a cooling medium can flow through the cooling element, wherein the coolant guide element forms a closed sealing contour between the component and the material-to-material connection with at least one side wall, which encloses at least a partial region of the surface of the component.Finally, it is provided that a passage for the cooling medium is formed between the coolant guide element and the area of ​​the cooling element through which the cooling medium can flow. Advantageous further developments of the electronic arrangement according to the invention are set forth in the subclaims.

[0010] In order to enable the most direct possible flow of the component from the cooling element via the coolant guide element, it is preferably provided that the passage is formed by a first opening on the coolant guide element on the side facing the cooling element and a second opening on the cooling element on the side facing the coolant guide element, wherein the two openings preferably overlap one another at least in regions.

[0011] In a preferred development of the last proposal, the first opening is delimited by at least one side wall of the coolant guide element. In other words, this means that the first opening is formed in the region of the entire end face of the coolant guide element facing away from the component and thus has a maximum size.

[0012] In order to increase the effectiveness of the cooling performance, it can further be provided that the cooling element has a flow channel for the cooling medium, and that at least one deflection element for the cooling medium is arranged in the flow channel, which deflection element is designed to deflect the cooling medium in the direction of the coolant guide element, preferably into an interior space of the coolant guide element delimited by the at least one side wall.

[0013] A further increase in cooling effectiveness is achieved by additively forming a cooling structure on the surface of the component within the coolant guide element defined by the at least one side wall. Such an (additional) cooling structure is preferably in the form of preferably columnar elevations. The (additional) cooling structure is formed layer by layer together with the coolant guide element or the side walls of the coolant guide element in a common manufacturing process through additive manufacturing.In order to create, on the one hand, a (fixed) connection between the coolant guide element and the cooling element, and, on the other hand, a media-tight connection, the integral connection between the coolant guide element and the cooling element is designed as an adhesive connection on an end face of at least one side wall of the coolant guide element. Furthermore, the integral connection allows for tolerance compensation between the individual elements.

[0014] In particular, by using an adhesive to connect the coolant guide element to the cooling element, the cooling element can be made of various materials, for example, plastic. Alternatively, a metal construction is also possible. The key point here is that, because the cooling medium flows through the cooling element, it only serves to guide the coolant and not necessarily to cool the component itself. This makes the use of a plastic cooling element possible.

[0015] The preferred cooling medium is water, which has a high cooling effect and a high heat capacity.

[0016] Furthermore, it is provided that the heat-generating component is connected to a circuit carrier on the side facing away from the coolant guide element.

[0017] A method for forming an electronic arrangement, in particular the electronic arrangement described above, comprises at least the following steps: First, the coolant guide element is provided on the surface of the heat-generating component, in particular produced using an additive process. The component is then connected to the circuit carrier. The circuit carrier is preferably then mounted in a housing accommodating the circuit carrier. Subsequently, in particular after mounting, a medium for the integral connection is applied to the coolant guide element. Finally, the cooling element is connected to the medium to form the integral connection between the coolant guide element and the cooling element.

[0018] Although several processes for additive manufacturing of the coolant guide element are conceivable, it is preferred that the coolant guide element be produced using the SLM process (SLM: Selective Laser Melting). In this process, a metallic powder is applied layer by layer and selectively melted in the areas where the coolant guide element is to be created, after which the melted areas subsequently solidify.

[0019] Furthermore, the connection between the component and the circuit carrier is preferably made using a soldering process, for example a reflow soldering process.

[0020] Further features, advantages and details of the invention will become apparent from the following description of preferred embodiments of the invention and from the drawings.

[0021] Short description of the drawings

[0022] Fig. 1 shows an exploded view of the elements of an electronic arrangement arranged in the housing,

[0023] Fig. 2 is a plan view of a coolant guide element produced by the additive process and a component in the direction of arrow II of Fig. 1 and

[0024] Fig. 3 shows the electronic arrangement according to Figs. 1 and 2 in a joined state.

[0025] Embodiments of the invention The same elements or elements with the same function are provided with the same reference numerals in the figures.

[0026] The figures schematically illustrate an electronics assembly 10, particularly as a component of a control unit 100. The control unit 100 comprises a housing 102, only partially illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 3, with a base plate 103 and a cover element 104, in which the electronics assembly 10 is arranged. The electronics assembly 10 comprises a circuit carrier 12, particularly a printed circuit board or the like, which is connected by means of a solder layer 14 to a component 16 to be cooled or to generate heat, for example, an IC 17. The component 16 or the circuit carrier 12 are components of an electronic circuit of the control unit 100 (not shown in detail).

[0027] The component 16 has a component housing 18, the upper side 20 of which, facing away from the solder layer 14, is preferably made of metal or a metal coating. A coolant guide element 22 is produced on the upper side 20 or surface of the component 16 using an additive manufacturing process and is firmly connected to the upper side 20.

[0028] Preferably, the coolant guide element 22 is manufactured using the so-called SLM process, in which a metallic powder is applied layer by layer and then melted selectively or in regions by a laser beam in order to produce, after solidification, a layer of the coolant guide element 22 to be formed.

[0029] In the illustrated embodiment, the coolant guide element 22 is cuboid-shaped and, as shown in Fig. 2, has four side walls 23 which form a rectangular frame 24 with a closed sealing contour 25, the size of which is adapted to the size of the top side 20 of the component 16 or runs flush with the edge of the top side 20. The frame 24 has, on the side facing away from the component 16, an end face 26 which is connected to the underside of a cooling element 32 with the interposition of a material-to-material connection 28 in the form of an adhesive 30. Within the interior space 34 of the coolant guide element 22, which is delimited by the coolant guide element 22 and the side walls 23, the coolant guide element 22 also has an additional cooling structure 36 with columnar elevations 38, each of which is identical in design to the exemplary embodiment and is connected to the top side 20 of the component 16.

[0030] The cooling element 32, made of metal or plastic, has a flow channel 40 through which a cooling medium 42, in particular water, is guided. The cooling medium 42 flows through the cooling element 32 and the interior space 34 of the coolant guide element 22 in the direction of the flow arrows 44 (Fig. 3). For this purpose, the coolant guide element 22 has a first opening 46 on the end face delimited by the side walls 23, which, together with a second opening 48 formed at least partially with the first opening 46 in the cooling element 32, forms a passage 50 for the cooling medium 42. Furthermore, a deflection element 52 in the form of an intermediate wall is formed within the cross-section of the cooling element 32, which deflection enables the cooling medium 42 to be directed out or deflected from the area of ​​the cooling element 32 toward the interior space 34 of the coolant guide element 22.

[0031] During operation of the electronic arrangement 10 or the control unit 100, the cooling medium 42 flows through the cooling device 32 and the coolant guide element 22 in the direction of the flow arrows 44. The cooling medium 42 reaches the region of the upper side 20 of the component 16 in order to enable optimized heat dissipation from the component 16.

[0032] The electronic assembly 10 described so far is manufactured by first producing the coolant guide element 22 on the top side 20 of the component 16 using the additive process. Subsequently, the component 16 (together with other components not shown) is connected or soldered to the circuit carrier 12. Adhesive 30 is then applied to the end face 26 of the coolant guide element 22, and the cooling element 32 is connected to the end face 26. If necessary, the electronic assembly 10 may have already been installed in the housing 102 of the control unit 100 beforehand. The electronic assembly 10 described so far can be modified or altered in a variety of ways without deviating from the inventive concept.For example, it is conceivable to form the coolant guide element 22 not only with a frame 24, but also with a base, for example, to enable improved heat transfer toward the cooling structure 36. The coolant guide element 22 or the frame 24 can also be smaller or cover only a portion of the top side 20 of the component 16.

Claims

Claims 1. An electronics arrangement (10) comprising a heat-generating component (16) which is connected at least indirectly on a surface (20) to a coolant guide element (22), in particular to a coolant guide element (22) produced using an additive process, wherein the coolant guide element (22) is coupled to a cooling element (32) with the interposition of a material-to-material connection (28) on the side opposite the component (16), wherein a cooling medium (42) can flow through the cooling element (32), wherein the coolant guide element (22) forms a closed sealing contour (25) between the component (16) and the material-to-material connection (28) with at least one side wall (23) which encloses at least a partial region of the surface (20) of the component (16),and wherein a passage (50) for the cooling medium (42) is formed between the coolant guide element (22) and the region of the cooling element (32) through which the cooling medium (42) can flow., 2. Electronic arrangement according to claim 1, characterized in that the passage (50) is formed by a first opening (46) on the coolant guide element (22) on the side facing the cooling element (32) and a second opening (48) on the cooling element (32) on the side facing the coolant guide element (22), wherein the two openings (46, 48) preferably overlap one another at least in regions.

3. Electronic arrangement according to claim 2, characterized in that the first opening (46) is delimited by the at least one side wall (23) of the coolant guide element (22).

4. Electronic arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that that the cooling element (32) has a flow channel (40) for the cooling medium (42), and that at least one deflection element (52) for the cooling medium (42) is arranged in the flow channel (40), which deflection element is designed to deflect the cooling medium (42) in the direction of the coolant guide element (22), preferably into an interior space (34) of the coolant guide element (22) delimited by the at least one side wall (23).

5. Electronic arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that a cooling structure (36) is formed by the additive process on the surface (20) of the component (16) within the coolant guide element (22) delimited by the at least one side wall (23).

6. Electronic arrangement according to claim 5, characterized in that the cooling structure (36) is designed in the form of preferably columnar elevations (38).

7. Electronic arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the material connection (28) between the coolant guide element (22) and the cooling element (32) is designed as an adhesive connection (30) on an end face (26) of the at least one side wall (23) of the coolant guide element (22).

8. Electronic arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the cooling element (32) consists of metal or plastic.

9. Electronic arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that water is used as the cooling medium (42).

10. Electronic arrangement according to one of claims 1 to 9, characterized in that that the heat-generating component (16) is connected to a circuit carrier (12) on the side facing away from the coolant guide element (22).

11. A method for forming an electronic arrangement (10), in particular an electronic arrangement (10) which is designed according to one of claims 1 to 10, comprising at least the following steps: Providing a coolant guide element (22) on a surface (22) of a heat-generating component (16), in particular producing a coolant guide element (22) on a surface (22) of a heat-generating component (16) in an additive process Connecting the component (16) to a circuit carrier (12) Applying a medium to form a cohesive Connection (28) on the coolant guide element (22) Connecting a cooling element (32) to the medium to form the material connection (28).

12. The method according to claim 11, characterized in that the coolant guide element (22) is produced using the SLM method.

13. Method according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the component (16) is soldered to the circuit carrier (12).

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