Phononic Bandgap IC Encapsulation for Directed Heat Flow
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing integrated circuit (IC) packaging technologies struggle with thermal management, as heat dissipation is difficult to control, leading to thermal stress and drift, and additional packaging steps increase costs and limit functionality.
Innovation Solution
Integrate phononic bandgap structures into the encapsulation material of ICs using additive manufacturing, allowing for spatial thermal conductivity grading and directing heat flow to a designated heat sink while minimizing heating of other areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If traditional encapsulation material is used, then the package provides protection and mechanical strength, but thermal management is difficult to control leading to thermal stress and drift
Solution Approach 1:
The encapsulation material is designed with spatially varying thermal conductivity, creating regions of high thermal conductivity near heat-generating components and regions of low thermal conductivity in other areas. This local quality variation enables precise thermal management by directing heat flow only where needed, thereby controlling temperature distribution and reducing thermal stress and drift.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs composite encapsulation materials with different thermal conductivity properties in different spatial regions. By combining materials with contrasting thermal properties within a single encapsulation structure, the system achieves both effective heat dissipation in critical areas and thermal insulation in non-critical areas, resolving the contradiction between thermal management and thermal stress control.
2Temperature
If additional packaging steps are added to improve thermal management, then thermal control may be enhanced, but costs increase and functionality is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the thermal management function directly into the encapsulation material itself, eliminating the need for separate thermal management components or additional packaging steps. The encapsulation material simultaneously provides protection, mechanical strength, and spatially controlled thermal management, thereby reducing device complexity and cost while maintaining effective thermal control.
Solution Approach 2:
The encapsulation material is designed to perform multiple functions: environmental protection, mechanical support, and spatially varying thermal management. By making the encapsulation material universal and multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for additional specialized components, thereby reducing packaging complexity and cost while achieving superior thermal control.
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
Effectively manages thermal stress and directs heat to a designated area, improving thermal management and reducing package heating, thereby enhancing IC performance and functionality.
Implementation Method 1
a phononic bandgap structure within the encapsulation material. The phononic bandgap structure directs heat flow to a designated heat sink area
Data Source
AI summary
An encapsulated integrated circuit includes an integrated circuit (IC) die. An encapsulation material encapsulates the IC die. Within the encapsulation material, a phononic bandgap structure is configured to have a phononic bandgap with a frequency range approximately equal to a range of frequencies of thermal phonons produced by the IC die when the IC die is operating.