Gimbaled Thermal Array for Liquid-Cooled DUT Testing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional approaches to device under test (DUT) testing that regulate temperature during testing are costly and complex, often relying on multiple cold plates or air-cooled superstructures that fail to provide the thermal performance of liquid-cooled solutions.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of liquid-cooled thermal arrays with gimbal features that allow surfaces to pivot into intimate contact, preventing air gaps and enhancing thermal performance, thereby enabling more DUTs to be tested in parallel within a small space while reducing overall costs and providing greater cooling capacity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If multiple cold plates are used per tester to regulate temperature during testing, then thermal performance is improved, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cold plates into a single integrated thermal array that can contact multiple DUTs simultaneously. The thermal array is divided into multiple segments that can independently contact different DUTs, achieving the temperature regulation function of multiple cold plates while using a single unified structure, thereby reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal array is designed to serve multiple DUTs simultaneously with a single structure. Each segment of the thermal array can contact a different DUT, allowing one thermal array to perform the function of multiple cold plates, reducing the overall number of components needed in the system.
2Temperature
If multiple cold plates are used per tester to regulate temperature during testing, then thermal performance is improved, but cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple cold plates into a single integrated thermal array that can contact multiple DUTs simultaneously. The thermal array is divided into multiple segments that can independently contact different DUTs, achieving the temperature regulation function of multiple cold plates while using a single unified structure, thereby reducing system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal array is designed to serve multiple DUTs simultaneously with a single structure. Each segment of the thermal array can contact a different DUT, allowing one thermal array to perform the function of multiple cold plates, reducing the overall number of components needed in the system.
3Device complexity
If air cooled superstructures are used, then device complexity is reduced, but thermal performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses liquid cooling through the thermal array instead of air cooling. The thermal array is designed to contact DUTs directly and transfer heat efficiently through liquid coolant flowing through channels in the array, providing superior thermal performance compared to air cooling while maintaining relatively simple system architecture.
4Productivity
If conventional testing approaches are used, then testing capacity is limited, but test space requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple DUT testing capabilities into a single compact thermal array structure. Multiple segments of the thermal array can contact multiple DUTs simultaneously within a small footprint, allowing high-capacity parallel testing without requiring large test spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal array utilizes vertical stacking and three-dimensional arrangement to maximize testing capacity within limited space. Multiple DUTs are arranged in a compact configuration with the thermal array contacting them from above, efficiently utilizing vertical space to increase testing capacity without expanding the horizontal footprint.
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 thermal performance by ensuring secure and even contact between the DUT and the thermal array, allowing for efficient cooling of high-powered devices, reduced system complexity, and lower costs.
Implementation Method 1
a top surface of the superstructure evenly and securely contacts a bottom surface of the thermal array substantially without air gaps between the top surface of the superstructure and the bottom surface of the thermal array to cool the DUT during testing
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of the present invention provide testing systems with liquid cooled thermal arrays that can pivot freely in three dimensions allowing surfaces to be brought into even, level, and secure contact, thereby preventing air gaps between surfaces and improving thermal performance. In this way, more DUTs can be tested in parallel within a small test space, overall costs of the test system are reduced, and greater cooling capacity can be provided for testing high-powered devices. Gimbaled mounts can be disposed on a bottom surface of individual thermal interface boards (TIBs) of a test system, and/or on top of individual thermal heads of a thermal array (TA) having a common cold plate (or having multiple cold plates).