Direct Pin-Fin PCB Cooling Without TIM or Coldplate
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional printed circuit board (PCB) cooling methods, such as those using Metal Core Printed Circuit Boards (MCPCBs) with thermal interface materials (TIMs) and coldplates, face challenges in efficiently transferring heat due to the presence of TIMs and top plates, which impede cooling performance.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of a direct pin-fin cooling system for PCBs, where pin-fins extend from the PCB's metal core or FR4 material directly to the coolant, eliminating the need for TIMs and coldplate top plates, thereby enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional MCPCB with TIM and coldplate top plate is used, then thermal conductivity is improved compared to FR4 PCB, but cooling performance is impeded by TIM and top plate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the thermal interface material (TIM) and coldplate top plate from the heat transfer path. By eliminating these intervening layers, the patent achieves direct thermal contact between the heat-generating component and the coolant, thereby resolving the contradiction between maintaining thermal conductivity and ensuring cooling performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the coldplate top plate with the PCB substrate by integrating the cooling channels directly into the PCB structure. This integration eliminates the separate top plate component and its associated TIM layer, creating a unified structure that maintains both thermal conductivity and cooling performance.
2Reliability
If TIM layer is used between heat generating component and coldplate, then thermal interface is established, but cooling performance is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the TIM layer from the thermal interface. By removing this intermediate material layer, the patent achieves direct thermal contact between the heat-generating component and the coolant channels, thereby resolving the contradiction between establishing thermal interface and maintaining cooling performance.
3Strength
If coldplate top plate is used between heat source and coolant, then structural support is provided, but heat transfer is impeded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the structural support function with the heat transfer function by integrating cooling channels directly into the PCB substrate. This integration eliminates the separate top plate while maintaining structural integrity through the PCB's own design, thereby resolving the contradiction between providing structural support and enabling heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The PCB substrate is given multiple functions: it provides both structural support and serves as the heat transfer path to the coolant. By making the PCB multi-functional, the patent eliminates the need for a separate top plate, thereby resolving the contradiction between structural support and heat transfer.
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 improves cooling performance by increasing thermal conductivity between the coolant and the power device, reducing the risk of thermal interface material-related issues, and enabling more efficient heat dissipation in high-power density applications.
Implementation Method 1
A thermal path is defined through the PCB directly from the heat generating component into the plurality of pin-fins
Implementation Method 2
A coolant medium such as a dielectric coolant fluid can be included in the cooling channel
Data Source
AI summary
Direct pin-fin cooling assemblies are disclosed for a high-power printed circuit boards (PCBs). The disclosure can solve the classical coldplate problem associated with liquid cooling of high-power PCBs namely: (1) Inhomogeneous cooling due to the calorimetric heating up of the coolant, (2) thermal interface material (TIM) related quality issues such as dry-out effects, (3) high cost due to complicated metal coldplate structure, and (4) low thermal conductivity due to multi-layer structure. This includes incorporating pin-fin direct cooling into high-power PCB structures without additional coldplate structure or TIM. In this approach, a TIM and a top plate of coldplate can be removed. Thus, the cooling performance can be improved because the thermal conductivity between a liquid coolant and a power device is increased.