Heat Spreader Layer for Microelectronic Thermal Management
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Semiconductor devices with localized heat-generating components experience hot spots, leading to reduced reliability due to ineffective heat management while maintaining desired costs and structural form factors.
Innovation Solution
A microelectronic device design incorporating a heat spreader layer on an electrode with a metal interconnect, where the heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-°K, and electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters, effectively conducting heat laterally away from the component to reduce temperature rise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional heat management structures are used, then device structure is simple, but hot spots occur causing reduced reliability
Solution Approach 1:
The heat spreader is segmented into multiple layers with different materials and functions: a first heat spreader layer directly on the heat-generating component, a second heat spreader layer above it, and intermediate layers between them. This segmentation allows each layer to be optimized for specific thermal management tasks while distributing the thermal management function across multiple components, thereby improving reliability without excessive complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader employs composite material structures including carbon nanotube layers combined with metal interconnect layers, and multiple dielectric layers with different thermal properties. These composite structures provide enhanced thermal conductivity in specific directions while maintaining electrical isolation, addressing the reliability issue through superior heat management capabilities.
2Temperature
If heat spreader layer is made thicker to improve heat conduction, then thermal conductivity increases, but device height increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite material structures including carbon nanotube layers combined with metal interconnect layers, and multiple dielectric layers with different thermal properties. These composite structures provide enhanced thermal conductivity in specific directions while maintaining electrical isolation, addressing the reliability issue through superior heat management capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat spreader utilizes lateral heat conduction in the plane of the layers rather than relying solely on vertical heat transfer through thick layers. The intermediate heat spreader layers extend laterally to conduct heat away from hot spots in the horizontal direction, providing effective thermal management without increasing device height significantly.
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 reduces temperature rise in heat-generating components by efficiently managing heat through the heat spreader layers, enhancing the reliability of microelectronic devices while maintaining cost-effectiveness and structural integrity.
Implementation Method 1
The heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K
Data Source
AI summary
A microelectronic device includes a heat spreader layer on an electrode of a component and a metal interconnect on the heat spreader layer. The heat spreader layer is disposed above a top surface of a substrate of the semiconductor device. The heat spreader layer is 100 nanometers to 3 microns thick, has an in-plane thermal conductivity of at least 150 watts/meter-° K, and an electrical resistivity less than 100 micro-ohm-centimeters.