Embedded Cooling Assembly With Direct-Bonded Cold Plate Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current cooling systems for microelectronic devices face inefficiencies due to high thermal resistance at the interface between chips and heat dissipation devices, leading to reduced cooling efficiency and increased energy consumption, especially as power density increases and temperatures rise.
Innovation Solution
Integrated device cooling assemblies are embedded within device packages, featuring a semiconductor device directly bonded to a cold plate without thermal interface materials, creating a coolant channel that reduces thermal resistance and enhances heat transfer directly to coolant fluids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal interface materials are used to couple the chip to heat dissipation devices, then thermal contact is maintained between surfaces, but the combined thermal resistance of the interface materials and interfacial boundary regions inhibits heat transfer, reducing cooling efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the thermal interface material layer from the heat transfer path between the semiconductor device and cold plate. By directly bonding the cold plate to the semiconductor device back surface, the thermal interface material is extracted from the system, eliminating its thermal resistance and improving cooling efficiency while maintaining reliable thermal contact through direct bonding.
2Ease of manufacture
If conventional cooling systems with thermal interface materials are used, then device assembly is simpler to manufacture, but the thermal resistance path is longer and cooling efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cold plate attachment process with the semiconductor device bonding process by directly bonding the cold plate to the device back surface during the same manufacturing step. This integration eliminates the need for separate thermal interface material application and bonding steps, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while shortening the thermal resistance path.
3Reliability
If thermal interface materials are used between package cover and cold plate, then sealing is achieved, but thermal communication between devices in the same package increases undesirably
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by using thermal interface material selectively only where sealing is required (between package cover and cold plate), while maintaining direct thermal contact between the cold plate and semiconductor device. This localized application of different material properties achieves both sealing integrity and minimized thermal resistance in the critical heat transfer path.
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
This solution significantly reduces thermal resistance and improves cooling efficiency by eliminating the need for thermal interface materials, allowing for more effective heat dissipation and reduced energy consumption in high-power density applications.
Implementation Method 1
a cold plate attached to the semiconductor device... The cold plate may include a patterned first side and an opposite second side... where the base surface is spaced apart from the semiconductor device to collectively define a coolant channel therebetween
Implementation Method 2
the coolant channel is in fluid communication with the inlet opening and the outlet opening through openings disposed through respective portions of the material layer
Data Source
AI summary
A device package may include a package substrate, a package cover disposed on the package substrate, and an integrated cooling assembly disposed between the package substrate and the package cover. The package cover generally has an inlet opening and an outlet opening disposed there through. The integrated cooling assembly includes a semiconductor device and a cold plate attached to the semiconductor device. The device package may include a material layer between the package cover and the cold plate. The cold plate may include a patterned first side and an opposite second side. The patterned first side may include a base surface and sidewalls extending downward from the base surface, where the base surface is spaced apart from the semiconductor device to collectively define a coolant channel. Here, the coolant channel is in fluid communication with the inlet opening and the outlet opening through openings disposed through respective portions of the material layer.