Cold Plate Heat Pipe Layout for Interposer Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing thermal designs for semiconductor packages, particularly high-power packages, face challenges in achieving effective cooling due to heat pipes being unable to come into close proximity to the interposer module, resulting in poor thermal performance.
Innovation Solution
A thermal module with a cold plate and bent U-shaped heat pipes is designed to fit within a cavity in the cold plate base, allowing for improved thermal contact and enhanced cooling capabilities by using a cavity design and soldering the heat pipes in the protruding portion of the cold plate base.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If heat pipes are positioned away from the interposer module in existing thermal designs, then the structural design is simpler, but the thermal performance deteriorates due to poor heat transfer
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pipes are nested within a cavity formed in the cold plate base, allowing them to be positioned in close proximity to the interposer module while maintaining a compact overall structure. This nesting approach enables improved thermal contact without significantly increasing the external dimensions or structural complexity of the cooling device.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a vertical dimension by forming a cavity downward into the cold plate base, allowing heat pipes to access the interposer module from below. This dimensional change enables close thermal coupling without requiring lateral expansion or complex side-mounted structures.
2Reliability
If heat pipes are positioned close to the interposer module, then thermal performance improves, but the device complexity increases due to cavity formation and precise positioning requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The cold plate base and cold plate cover are merged with integrated cavity formation, where the cavity is formed as part of the base structure itself. This combining of functions reduces the number of separate components and simplifies manufacturing while ensuring precise positioning of the heat pipes relative to the interposer module.
Solution Approach 2:
The cavity is pre-formed in the cold plate base before final assembly, establishing the precise position and orientation of the heat pipes in advance. This preliminary structuring ensures correct thermal coupling geometry is achieved during assembly without requiring complex alignment procedures or post-assembly adjustments.
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 innovative design improves thermal performance by ensuring better heat transfer and dissipation, meeting the cooling requirements of high-power semiconductor packages.
Implementation Method 1
one or more heat pipes on the cold plate base
Implementation Method 2
ensuring better heat transfer and dissipation
Implementation Method 3
soldering the heat pipes in the protruding portion of the cold plate base
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal module may include a cold plate including a cold plate base having a cold plate base protruding portion, and a cold plate cover on the cold plate base, and a heat pipe between the cold plate base and the cold plate cover, and including an upper heat pipe portion and a lower heat pipe portion in the cold plate base protruding portion.