3D Water Block Structure for High-Power Chip Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional liquid coolers for high-power semiconductor chips, such as CPUs and GPUs, face a bottleneck in heat exchange efficiency due to limited surface area for heat dissipation, leading to suboptimal cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
A 3D water block design incorporating a heat pipe or vapor chamber structure with fin layers, which increases the surface area for heat exchange by allowing the circulating liquid to flow through multiple channels formed among the fin layers, enhancing heat transfer from the semiconductor chip to the ambient environment.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Area of stationary object
If a traditional 2D water block design is used, then the device complexity is low and ease of manufacture is high, but the heat exchange efficiency is insufficient due to limited surface area
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from a traditional 2D water block design to a 3D water block structure by incorporating vertical heat pipes and multiple fin layers. This dimensional change dramatically increases the heat exchange surface area within the same footprint, allowing heat to be dissipated through multiple levels rather than a single plane, thereby resolving the contradiction between limited surface area and structural complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs a nested structure where heat pipes are embedded within the water block, and multiple fin layers are arranged concentrically or sequentially around the heat pipes. This nesting approach maximizes the use of internal space, allowing the heat exchange surfaces to be packed efficiently within the compact water block geometry, increasing surface area without proportionally increasing external dimensions.
2Productivity
If micro channels are added on the base plate to improve heat exchange, then heat exchange rate improves slightly, but the bottleneck remains for high power CPU/GPU cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent moves beyond 2D micro channel designs on the base plate by introducing vertical heat pipes and multi-layer fin structures. This 3D configuration creates numerous additional heat exchange pathways extending upward from the base plate, multiplying the effective heat exchange rate and providing sufficient cooling capacity for high-power processors that 2D designs cannot achieve.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the heat exchange function into multiple independent components: the base plate for initial heat absorption, multiple heat pipes for vertical heat transport, and numerous fin layers for enhanced dissipation. This segmentation allows each component to specialize in a specific aspect of heat transfer, collectively achieving a much higher overall heat exchange rate than a单一的 base plate design.
3Productivity
If a 3D water block with heat pipe structure is implemented, then heat exchange efficiency is significantly improved, but manufacturing complexity and device assembly difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the heat pipes and fin layers to be nested within the water block structure, allowing these complex components to be integrated as unified sub-assemblies. This nested configuration enables modular manufacturing where the heat pipe-f fin layer combinations can be pre-assembled and tested before being installed into the final water block, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite the 3D structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple functions into integrated components: the heat pipes serve both as structural support elements and as heat transfer conduits, while the fin layers are directly attached to the heat pipes to form unified heat dissipation assemblies. This merging of functions reduces the number of separate parts and assembly steps, mitigating the manufacturing complexity that would otherwise result from the 3D configuration.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The 3D water block significantly improves heat exchange efficiency by increasing the surface area for heat dissipation, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional 2D designs and providing superior cooling performance for high-power semiconductor chips.
Implementation Method 1
the 3D heat exchanger includes a heat pipe or vapor chamber structure and a plurality of fin layers
Implementation Method 2
the heat pipe or vapor chamber structure includes a bottom portion either attached on the top surface of the base plate or combined with the base plate as a portion of it
Implementation Method 3
a heat transferring process, where the heat generated by the semiconductor chip package transfers to the base plate by a thermal conduction process
Implementation Method 4
a heat exchanging process, where the heat in the base plate transfers to the circulating liquid when it passes through the base plate
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure describes a 3D (3-dimensional) water block for cooling a heat source of an electronic system such as a semiconductor chip package, comprising: a box with a base plate, a 3D heat exchanger and a circulating liquid; wherein the base plate is attached onto the heat source through a thermal interface material, the 3D heat exchanger includes a heat pipe or vapor chamber structure and a plurality of fin layers, which are attached to the heat pipe or vapor chamber structure so as to form a plurality of channels among them; wherein the heat pipe or vapor chamber structure includes a bottom portion attached to the base plate and a top portion extending upwards from the base plate; and wherein the circulating liquid flows through the plurality of channels for taking away heat from the 3D heat exchanger to an ambient.