Embedded Heat Spreader Layout for Bottom-Side Package Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
High-power electronic components in semiconductor packages generate excessive heat due to current crowding, leading to thermal challenges such as substrate burns and component failures, which existing packaging technologies fail to adequately address.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of embedded heat spreaders (EHS) and thermal second-level interconnects (SLIs) within the package substrate to efficiently direct heat away from the substrate, utilizing highly thermal conductive materials like copper and thermal interface materials to create a lower thermal resistance path for heat transfer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If high-power electronic components are included in the package substrate, then the performance and functionality of the microelectronic package is improved, but thermal challenges and substrate temperatures increase leading to potential burns and component failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a third-dimensional thermal management solution by embedding heat spreaders vertically within the substrate layers and utilizing bottom-side cooling through the substrate. This moves heat extraction from a single-plane (top-side) approach to a multi-dimensional thermal pathway, allowing heat to be conducted laterally through embedded heat spreaders and extracted from the bottom surface, thereby reducing peak temperatures while maintaining high power capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs thermal interface materials as intermediaries between the embedded heat spreaders and both the top-side heat sources and bottom-side cooling structures. These thermal interface materials facilitate efficient heat transfer across the substrate-thickness dimension, enabling the embedded heat spreaders to effectively conduct heat from high-power components to the bottom-side cooling path without creating thermal bottlenecks
2Power
If high current density is used in the package substrate, then the power transmission capability is improved, but heat generation increases resulting in thermal run-aways and component failures
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts heat from the substrate interior by embedding heat spreaders within the substrate layers that conduct heat laterally away from high-current regions. This separates the heat generation source (high-current traces) from the heat accumulation zone (substrate bulk), allowing heat to be continuously extracted through the embedded heat spreaders to the bottom-side cooling path, thereby preventing thermal run-aways while maintaining high current capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent adds a vertical thermal extraction path by routing heat from the top-side high-power components through embedded heat spreaders to bottom-side cooling structures. This creates a three-dimensional thermal management architecture where heat flows not only through the substrate thickness but also laterally through embedded heat spreaders, providing additional thermal pathways that reduce heat generation effects while maintaining high power transmission
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 effectively reduces substrate temperatures, enhances current carrying capability, and improves overall product performance by directing heat downward to the motherboard, thereby preventing thermal runaways and component failures.
Implementation Method 1
an embedded heat spreader (EHS) may thus help improve the thermal properties of the package substrate... comprised of one or more highly thermal conductive materials (e.g., copper)
Implementation Method 2
utilizing highly thermal conductive materials like copper and thermal interface materials to create a lower thermal resistance path for heat transfer
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments include semiconductor packages. A semiconductor package include a high-power electronic component and an embedded heat spreader (EHS) in a package substrate. The EHS is adjacent to the high-power electronic component. The semiconductor package includes a plurality of thermal interconnects below the EHS and the package substrate, and a plurality of dies on the package substrate. The thermal interconnects is coupled to the EHS. The EHS is below the high-power electronic component and embedded within the package substrate. The high-power electronic component has a bottom surface substantially proximate to a top surface of the EHS. The EHS is a copper heat sink, and the high-power electronic component is an air core inductor or a voltage regulator. The thermal interconnects are comprised of thermal ball grid array balls or thermal adhesive materials. The thermal interconnects couple a bottom surface of the package substrate to a top surface of a substrate.