Additively Formed Metal Body on PCB for Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current component carriers for electronic components face challenges in thermal heat management due to limited heat conductivity of adhesives used between heat sinks and PCBs, leading to inefficient heat dissipation.
Innovation Solution
A component carrier is manufactured using additive manufacturing, where a metal body is directly formed on a metal surface structure without intermediate layers, utilizing highly conductive materials like copper or aluminum to enhance thermal and electrical conductivity, and featuring designs such as cooling fins or heat pipes for improved heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If adhesive materials (epoxy or tape) are used to attach heat sink to PCB, then ease of manufacture is improved, but heat conductivity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes the adhesive layer from the thermal path between heat-generating components and heat sink. By directly attaching conductive structures to the PCB and connecting them to the heat sink, the thermally resistive adhesive material is extracted from the critical heat transfer path, eliminating the thermal interface resistance problem.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the material parameter of the thermal interface from low-conductivity adhesive to high-conductivity metal or conductive material. The direct attachment of copper traces, aluminum structures, or other conductive materials to the heat sink creates a thermal interface with significantly higher heat conductivity, directly addressing the thermal management problem.
2Reliability
If metal body is directly formed on metal surface structure by additive manufacturing, then heat conductivity is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heat sink manufacturing process with the PCB manufacturing process by using additive manufacturing to directly form the metal body on the metal surface structure. This integration eliminates separate assembly steps and intermediate adhesive layers, reducing overall manufacturing complexity despite introducing advanced manufacturing technology.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes additive manufacturing technology to directly deposit metal material layer by layer, forming complex three-dimensional heat sink structures with optimized thermal pathways. This manufacturing approach enables direct formation of high-conductivity metal structures without traditional assembly complexity.
3Reliability
If intermediate adhesive layers are eliminated, then heat dissipation efficiency is improved, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent prepares the metal surface structure on the PCB in advance with appropriate surface treatment, geometry, and material properties to ensure direct bonding or additive manufacturing attachment. This preliminary preparation ensures that when the metal body is directly formed, the interface achieves optimal thermal contact without requiring post-assembly precision adjustments.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies surface parameters of the metal surface structure including surface roughness, chemical composition, and thermal properties to enable direct bonding or additive manufacturing attachment. These parameter changes ensure high-quality thermal interface without adhesive layers, meeting precision requirements through material and surface engineering.
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 significantly enhances heat conductivity by eliminating interface losses between the heat sink and the PCB, potentially increasing heat dissipation by 100 to 300 times, while also reducing manufacturing costs and allowing for complex, efficient thermal management designs.
Implementation Method 1
the heat conductivity of an epoxy material or an adhesive tape is limited with respect to metal materials, such as aluminum or copper, which are generally constituting the heat sink itself
Implementation Method 2
A heat sink is a passive heat exchanger that cools a device by dissipating heat into the surrounding medium
Implementation Method 3
A metal body is formed directly on the metal surface structure by additive manufacturing
Data Source
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AI summary
The present invention relates to a component carrier (100), which comprises a carrier body (101) formed of a plurality of electrically conductive layer structures and/or electrically insulating layer structures, a metal surface structure (102) coupled to the layer structures and a metal body (103) directly on the metal surface structure (102) formed by additive manufacturing.