IC Package Stiffener With Dual Heat Dissipation Modes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing mechanical stiffeners for integrated circuit packages either fail to effectively counteract warping, which can lead to electrical contact loss, or compromise heat dissipation and electromagnetic shielding, as they either trap heat or insufficiently dissipate it, and often thermally couple integrated circuit dies with different heat dissipation requirements.
Innovation Solution
A thermally conductive mechanical stiffener is attached to the substrate, with a first portion in thermal contact with one integrated circuit die and a second portion configured to expose the surface of another die, allowing for different heat dissipation modes, using thermal interface materials and heat sinks to manage heat, and potentially providing electromagnetic shielding through electrically conductive adhesives.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If a mechanical stiffener is applied to the substrate to prevent warping, then substrate warping is counteracted, but heat dissipation performance is adversely affected
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener is designed with spatially varying thermal conductivity properties - a first portion with higher thermal conductivity for regions requiring heat dissipation, and a second portion with lower thermal conductivity for regions prioritizing mechanical support. This local differentiation allows the stiffener to simultaneously prevent substrate warping while managing heat dissipation according to the specific thermal requirements of different integrated circuit dies.
2Ease of manufacture
If a uniform stiffener design is used across all integrated circuit dies, then manufacturing is simplified, but different heat dissipation requirements of different dies cannot be met
Solution Approach 1:
The stiffener incorporates regions with different thermal conductivity characteristics to match the varying heat dissipation needs of different integrated circuit dies. This allows a single stiffener component to serve multiple thermal management functions without requiring custom-designed stiffeners for each die, maintaining manufacturing simplicity while achieving thermal adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The stiffener is designed to perform multiple functions simultaneously: providing mechanical support to prevent substrate warping, dissipating heat from high-power dies through high-conductivity regions, and allowing thermal isolation for low-power dies through low-conductivity regions. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate stiffener components for different thermal requirements.
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 stiffener effectively counteracts substrate warping, provides tailored heat dissipation for each integrated circuit die based on its specific needs, and offers electromagnetic shielding, maintaining electrical contact and protecting the dies from mechanical stress while managing heat effectively.
Implementation Method 1
a thermally conductive stiffener attached to the substrate to counteract warping of the substrate, the stiffener having a first portion in a thermally conductive relationship with a surface of a first integrated circuit die
Implementation Method 2
a heat sink, the heat sink being disposed in a thermally conductive relationship with the second integrated circuit die among the at least two integrated circuit dies through the opening in the stiffener, and configured to dissipate heat from the second integrated circuit die
Implementation Method 3
a thermal interface material (TIM) disposed between the first portion of the stiffener and the surface of the first integrated circuit die among the at least two integrated circuit dies, the TIM thermally coupling the first portion of the stiffener to the first integrated circuit die
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit device package includes a substrate, at least two integrated circuit dies mounted to the substrate, and a thermally conductive stiffener attached to the substrate to counteract warping of the substrate. The stiffener has a first portion in a thermally conductive relationship with a surface of a first integrated circuit die to provide a first heat dissipation mode for the first integrated circuit die, and has a second portion, different from the first portion, the second portion being configured to provide a second heat dissipation mode, different from the first heat dissipation mode, for a second integrated circuit die. The stiffener may be configured to expose a surface of the second integrated circuit die through an opening in the stiffener. A heat sink may be disposed in a thermally conductive relationship with the second integrated circuit die through the opening in the stiffener.