IC Package Thermal Zoning to Limit Cross-Talk

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Solution Overview

Problem

Integrated circuit (IC) packages face challenges in thermal management, particularly in compact designs where heat-generating components can degrade the performance of temperature-sensitive components due to thermal cross-talk, necessitating innovative solutions to maintain performance and compactness.

Innovation Solution

The proposed solution involves a thermal management arrangement within IC packages that includes a heat-generating component and a temperature-sensitive component in a single package, utilizing a package substrate with a high thermal conductivity material and a heat spreader, along with underfill materials and thermal interfaces to manage heat transfer and isolate temperature-sensitive components from heat sources.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Volume of moving object

If heat-generating and temperature-sensitive components are integrated in a single package, then device compactness and integration are improved, but thermal cross-talk degrades performance of temperature-sensitive components

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepackage sizeVSAvoidcomponent performance

Core Design Contradiction:

Volume of moving objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The package substrate is divided into multiple thermal zones with different thermal conductivities. High thermal conductivity regions are positioned beneath heat-generating components to conduct heat away, while low thermal conductivity regions are positioned beneath temperature-sensitive components to isolate them from heat. This segmentation allows both component types to coexist in a compact package without thermal interference.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Different regions of the package substrate are assigned different thermal properties (high or low thermal conductivity) based on the specific thermal requirements of underlying components. This local differentiation enables optimized thermal management for each component type within the same package, resolving the thermal cross-talk issue while maintaining compact integration.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Reliability

If separate packaging is used for heat-generating and temperature-sensitive components, then thermal isolation is improved, but device size and complexity increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal isolationVSAvoidpackage structure

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Multiple components with different thermal requirements are merged into a single package substrate. The substrate itself is designed with spatially varying thermal conductivity to provide the necessary thermal isolation, eliminating the need for separate physical packages while maintaining thermal performance.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The package substrate serves multiple functions simultaneously: it provides mechanical support, electrical interconnection, and differentiated thermal management. By integrating these functions into a single component with spatially varying properties, the solution reduces overall device complexity while achieving thermal isolation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

3Temperature

If high thermal conductivity material is used throughout the package substrate, then heat dissipation is improved, but temperature-sensitive components are exposed to excessive heat

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat dissipationVSAvoidthermal exposure

Core Design Contradiction:

TemperatureVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The package substrate implements local quality by assigning high thermal conductivity material only to regions beneath heat-generating components where heat dissipation is needed, while using low thermal conductivity material in regions beneath temperature-sensitive components to protect them from thermal exposure. This localized approach optimizes heat dissipation without exposing sensitive components to excessive heat.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

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 approach enables closer integration of heat-generating and temperature-sensitive components, maintaining performance within acceptable temperature ranges, allowing for smaller form factors and enabling the integration of advanced technologies like next-generation 5G wireless communication devices.

Implementation Method 1

utilizing a package substrate with a high thermal conductivity material and a heat spreader

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

Some such devices include heat sinks or other components to enable the transfer of heat away from heat-generating elements in these devices

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat transfer: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS12261097B2Thermal management in integrated circuit packages

Publication Date: 2025.03.25 INTEL CORP

AI summary

Disclosed herein are structures and assemblies that may be used for thermal management in integrated circuit (IC) packages.