Metal Thermal Interface Material With Through-Holes for Melt Overflow Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional metal thermal interface materials (TIMs) face issues with melt overflowing due to their thickness and inability to effectively manage heat flux in microelectronic components, leading to potential damage and performance degradation.
Innovation Solution
A hollowed-out metal thermal interface material with through-holes and/or zigzags/wave shapes on its border is introduced, reducing the amount of melt and preventing accumulation, thereby avoiding overflow and enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the thickness of metal TIM is increased to accommodate thermal stress and reduce interface thermal resistance, then thermal performance is improved, but the amount of redundant melt increases leading to overflow and potential damage
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces through-holes that segment the metal TIM into distinct regions, creating separate containment zones for the melt. This segmentation prevents the melt from forming continuous beads that can overflow, while still maintaining sufficient material thickness for thermal performance and stress accommodation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a porous structure within the metal TIM by introducing through-holes. This porous design allows the material to contain and disperse melt within its structure, preventing overflow while maintaining thermal conductivity. The through-holes act as internal reservoirs that capture excess melt.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the thickness of metal TIM is reduced to minimize redundant melt and prevent overflow, then melt overflow is reduced, but thermal stress accommodation and interface thermal resistance performance deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the TIM through through-holes, the effective thermal path remains intact while the melt containment capability is enhanced. The segmentation allows thinner overall thickness without sacrificing thermal performance, as the through-holes strategically placed do not significantly impede heat flow but effectively contain melt.
3Ease of manufacture
If conventional metal TIM is used without structural modifications, then manufacturing simplicity is maintained, but melt overflow occurs due to accumulation at the border of contact surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The through-holes can be manufactured using standard techniques such as laser drilling, punching, or etching, which are commonly integrated into existing metal TIM production lines. This segmentation approach adds minimal manufacturing complexity while effectively preventing melt overflow.
Solution Approach 2:
Creating through-holes to form a porous structure is a relatively simple manufacturing modification that can be achieved through conventional processes. This porous design effectively captures and contains melt without requiring complex multi-layer structures or additional components.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If multi-layer metal TIM structure is used to prevent melt overflow, then melt containment is improved, but additional heat-conducting interfaces are created and thickness cannot be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding multiple layers, the patent segments the single-layer TIM through through-holes. This maintains the simplicity of a single-layer structure without additional heat-conducting interfaces, while the segmentation provides effective melt containment through the creation of discrete containment zones.
Solution Approach 2:
The porous structure with through-holes provides melt containment functionality without requiring multi-layer construction. This single-layer porous design eliminates additional interfaces and keeps the overall thickness reducible, unlike multi-layer alternatives.
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 hollowed-out structure effectively disperses and captures excess melt, preventing overflow and improving thermal interface performance by reducing thermal resistance and accommodating thermal stress.
Implementation Method 1
a thermal interface material disposed at thermal interfaces of a thermal conduction path from an integrated circuit die to the heat sink
Implementation Method 2
Metal TIMs made of LMAs have a phase change property from a solid state to a cream-like state. And, this phase change is activated at the temperature around the operation temperature of microelectronic component
Implementation Method 3
The hollowed-out metal thermal interface material has a plurality of through-holes reducing the amount of the melt of the metal thermal interface material, dispersing the melt of the metal thermal interface material, and preventing the melt from accumulating to be running beads at the border of the interface
Data Source
AI summary
The invention provides a metal thermal interface material (TIM) with through-holes in its body and/or zigzags or wave shapes on its border, which is suitable for use at thermal interfaces of a thermal conduction path from an integrated circuit die to its associated heat sink in a packaged microelectronic component. The invention also includes a thermal module and a packaged microelectronic component including the metal thermal interface material.