Flexible Circuit Heat Spreader for Stacked PCB Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Stacked printed circuit boards (PCBs) in computer systems face challenges with heat dissipation due to narrow air gaps, leading to elevated temperatures that can cause component malfunction, as traditional heat spreaders are ineffective in cooling components on internal surfaces and are limited by the space between sockets in memory modules.
Innovation Solution
A flexible connector with a dielectric layer and electrical conduits, along with an electrically conductive layer, is used to provide improved electrical conductivity and flexibility, allowing for efficient heat dissipation through a thermally conductive heat spreader that couples to both sides of the PCBs, enhancing air flow and thermal conductivity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If stacked PCB configurations are used to increase memory density, then the capability of the memory subsystem is enhanced, but the narrow air gap between stacked PCBs prevents air flow and causes components to overheat
Solution Approach 1:
Heat spreaders are introduced as intermediary thermal management devices between the stacked PCBs and the cooling system. These heat spreaders conduct heat away from components on both inside and outside surfaces, acting as thermal mediators that enable effective heat dissipation despite the narrow air gaps that prevent direct convective cooling of inside surface components.
2Reliability
If flexible circuitry is used to provide electrical connections between stacked PCBs, then electrical connectivity is achieved, but the characteristics of flexible circuitry limit the effectiveness of heat dissipation solutions
Solution Approach 1:
The thermal management system is segmented into multiple independent heat spreaders positioned at different locations and orientations. This segmentation allows the flexible circuitry to maintain its electrical connection function while the distributed heat spreaders provide comprehensive thermal management, overcoming the limitation where a single heat spreader approach would be ineffective due to the flexible circuitry's characteristics.
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 effectively cools both sides of stacked PCBs, maintaining component temperatures within operational ranges and increasing the density of memory modules by utilizing the available space between sockets efficiently.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive heat spreader that couples to both sides of the PCBs
Implementation Method 2
enhancing air flow and thermal conductivity... components can generate significant amounts of heat, which can raise the temperature of the component itself or of the surrounding components of the module
Data Source
AI summary
A circuit includes a first plurality of contacts configured to be in electrical communication with a plurality of electronic devices. The circuit card further includes a flexible portion including a dielectric layer, a second plurality of contacts, and a plurality of electrical conduits extending across a region of the flexible portion and in electrical communication with one or more contacts of the first plurality of contacts and with the second plurality of contacts. The flexible portion further includes an electrically conductive layer extending across the region of the flexible portion. The electrically conductive layer is superposed with the plurality of electrical conduits with the dielectric layer therebetween. The electrically conductive layer does not overlay one or more portions of the dielectric layer in the region of the flexible portion.