Pierced TIM Sheet Structure for Irregular Surface Heat Transfer
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The challenge in modern computer systems is efficiently managing heat from complex components with irregular, non-flat surfaces, where gaps between components and heat exchangers hinder thermal contact and heat removal.
Innovation Solution
A pierced thermal interface construction using a TIM sheet with piercings, each containing a cavity and displaced material that protrudes, providing compressible thermal contact and filling gaps between heat-producing components and heat exchangers without requiring additional TIMs, and allowing for varying piercing sizes and orientations to tailor thermal contact.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a standard TIM sheet is used between heat-producing components and heat exchangers, then thermal contact is provided, but gaps in irregular, non-flat surfaces cannot be filled effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The TIM sheet is transformed into a porous structure by creating piercings with cavities that extend through the material. These cavities allow the TIM to conform to irregular surfaces by collapsing into gap spaces, enabling effective thermal contact across non-flat surfaces while maintaining reliable heat transfer pathways.
Solution Approach 2:
The TIM sheet transitions from a rigid, fixed-thickness structure to a dynamic, compressible structure. When compression force is applied, the piercings collapse and the TIM material deforms to adapt to the specific gap geometry, providing dynamic adaptation to varying surface irregularities and maintaining optimal thermal contact.
2Reliability
If multiple different TIMs are used across a single surface to address varying gap sizes, then gap filling improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
A single TIM sheet with multiple piercings of varying sizes performs the function of multiple different TIMs. The piercings are configured with different dimensions, shapes, and distributions to address various gap sizes and geometries within the same component, providing universal gap-filling capability across the entire heat transfer surface without requiring separate TIM materials for different regions.
3Reliability
If higher loads are applied to improve thermal contact pressure, then thermal contact improves, but component stress and potential damage increase
Solution Approach 1:
The TIM sheet's physical parameters are changed by creating piercings with specific cavity volumes, shapes, and distributions. This modification allows the material to achieve effective thermal contact at lower compression loads because the piercings collapse into gap spaces more easily, providing compliance and conformability without requiring excessive force that could damage sensitive electronic components.
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 solution effectively fills gaps in irregular surfaces, enhancing thermal contact and heat removal efficiency at lower loads, using a single TIM sheet across different surface configurations, and can be adapted to changing component geometries.
Implementation Method 1
thermal interface material (TIM) structure comprising: a TIM sheet comprising a plurality of piercings, where each of the plurality of piercings comprises a cavity and displaced material, and where the displaced material from each of the plurality of piercings protrudes away from the TIM sheet
Data Source
AI summary
Pierced thermal interface constructions including a thermal interface material (TIM) structure comprising: a TIM sheet comprising a plurality of piercings, where each of the plurality of piercings comprises a cavity and displaced material, and where the displaced material from each of the plurality of piercings protrudes away from the TIM sheet.