Floating Heat Structures for Stacked IC Thermal Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional chip packaging schemes face challenges in providing adequate thermal management, particularly in vertically stacked IC dies, leading to increased operating temperatures and potential device failure due to inefficient heat transfer paths.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of electrically floating conductive heat transfer structures that extend between the surfaces of IC dies and are integrated into the substrate, providing robust heat transfer paths both vertically and laterally to enhance thermal management and reduce temperature rise within the chip package assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If multiple IC dies are vertically stacked on a substrate to increase component density, then device functionality and component density are improved, but thermal management becomes problematic and heat transfer paths are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces lateral heat transfer structures that extend outward from the vertical stack in a horizontal dimension. These structures conduct heat laterally from middle and bottom dies to heat sinks positioned at the periphery of the package, providing an additional thermal management dimension beyond traditional vertical heat paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs intermediate heat transfer structures including laterally extending conductive elements and thermal interface materials that mediate heat transfer between the IC dies and external heat sinks. These intermediaries facilitate efficient thermal coupling without requiring direct contact between dies and heat dissipation components.
2Quantity of substance
If multiple IC dies are vertically stacked on a substrate to increase component density, then device functionality is improved, but heat transfer paths from middle and lower dies are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the thermal management system into multiple independent heat transfer paths: vertical heat paths from top dies, lateral heat paths from middle and bottom dies, and multiple heat sink attachment points. This segmentation ensures that thermal failures in one path do not compromise the entire system and provides redundant thermal management routes.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extends heat transfer structures laterally outward from the vertical die stack in the horizontal plane, creating three-dimensional thermal management architecture. This dimensional expansion provides dedicated heat evacuation routes for middle and bottom dies that are not blocked by upper dies, improving overall thermal reliability.
3Quantity of substance
If conventional chip packaging schemes are used with vertically stacked IC dies, then component density is improved, but thermal coupling between dies increases and electromigration lifetime is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts heat from the die stack at multiple levels by introducing lateral heat transfer structures that remove thermal energy from middle and bottom dies before it can accumulate and transfer to adjacent dies. This extraction approach prevents thermal coupling and reduces the thermal stress that accelerates electromigration failure mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces intermediate thermal management structures including laterally extending heat spreaders and thermal interface materials that act as mediators between heat-generating dies and heat sinks. These intermediaries provide low thermal resistance paths that bypass thermal coupling between adjacent dies, thereby extending component lifetime by reducing thermal stress.
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 improves the reliability and performance of chip packages by effectively removing heat from middle and bottom IC dies in a vertical stack, reducing thermal coupling and extending the electromigration lifetime of the components.
Implementation Method 1
electrically floating conductive heat transfer structures that extend between the surfaces of IC dies and are integrated into the substrate, providing robust heat transfer paths both vertically and laterally
Data Source
AI summary
A chip package assembly and method for fabricating the same are provided which utilize a plurality of electrically floating heat transfer structures for improved thermal management. In one example, a chip package assembly is provided. The chip package assembly includes a substrate, a first integrated circuit (IC) die and a plurality of electrically floating conductive heat transfer structures. The substrate has a first surface and an opposing second surface. The first IC die has a first surface, an opposing second surface, and four lateral sides. The second surface of the first IC die is mounted to the first surface of the substrate. The plurality of electrically floating conductive heat transfer structures extend in a first direction defined between the first and second surfaces of the first IC die. A first conductive heat transfer structure of the plurality of electrically floating conductive heat transfer structures are part of a first conductive heat transfer path having a length in the first direction at least as long as a distance between the first and second surfaces.