Direct-Bonded Cold Plate Channels for Chip Hotspot Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for microelectronic devices face inefficiencies due to high thermal resistance and non-uniform heat dissipation across semiconductor chips, leading to reduced performance and increased energy consumption.
Innovation Solution
Integrated cooling assemblies with directly bonded cold plates and coolant channels are used to directly cool semiconductor devices, focusing on hotspot regions to achieve temperature uniformity and reduce thermal resistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If traditional cooling systems with thermal interface materials are used, then the cooling system can be manufactured with standard components, but the thermal resistance at interfaces and within TIM layers reduces cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cold plate with the substrate to form an integrated cooling assembly, eliminating separate thermal interface materials and reducing thermal resistance. The cold plate is directly coupled to the substrate, removing the need for TIM layers and improving heat transfer efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the thermal interface material layers from the cooling system. By eliminating these intermediate layers that contribute to thermal resistance, the system achieves better thermal coupling between the semiconductor device and the cold plate.
2Temperature
If uniform coolant channels are used across the entire chip, then the manufacturing process is simplified, but hotspot regions cannot be effectively cooled leading to non-uniform temperature distribution
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements non-uniform coolant channels with varying widths to provide localized cooling. The channel width is increased in regions corresponding to hotspots on the semiconductor device, allowing higher coolant flow rates where needed to achieve uniform temperature distribution across the chip.
3Reliability
If multiple thermal interface materials are used to facilitate heat transfer, then the thermal coupling between components is improved, but the combined thermal resistance of multiple interfaces and TIM layers accumulates and reduces cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the substrate and cold plate into a single integrated assembly with direct thermal coupling. This eliminates multiple separate TIM layers and their associated interfaces, reducing cumulative thermal resistance while maintaining reliable thermal coupling through direct bonding.
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 solution enhances cooling efficiency by directly addressing hotspot regions, reducing thermal resistance, and maintaining optimal operating temperatures across the semiconductor device.
Implementation Method 1
a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel extending laterally between the inlet opening and the outlet opening... directly cool semiconductor devices
Implementation Method 2
supplying fluid into the inlet opening, and out of the outlet opening to directly cool the semiconductor device
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated cooling assembly comprising a semiconductor device and a cold plate directly bonded to the semiconductor device. The cold plate comprises a top portion, sidewalls and a divider extending downwardly from the top portion to a backside of the semiconductor device, an inlet opening; and an outlet opening. The top portion, the sidewalls, the divider and the backside of the semiconductor device collectively define a first coolant channel and a second coolant channel extending laterally between the inlet opening and the outlet opening. A channel width of the first coolant channel in a direction parallel to the backside of the semiconductor device is greater than a channel width of the second coolant channel in in the same direction; and a portion of the first coolant channel is disposed above a hotspot region of the semiconductor device.