Segmented Heat Sink Structure for Uneven Chip Heights

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing heat dissipation methods for integrated circuit chips on circuit boards face issues of poor contact and potential chip damage due to uneven pressure from a single heat sink, especially when chips have varying heights.

Innovation Solution

A heat sink design with a base plate and fins, where each chip is individually attached to a separate heat sink, ensuring full contact and avoiding excessive pressure, using materials like aluminum, copper, or nickel for improved thermal conductivity and corrosion resistance.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Area of stationary object

If a single heat sink is integrally mounted on the circuit board to contact all integrated circuit chips, then the heat dissipation coverage is improved, but poor contact between the heat sink and some chips causes overheating and malfunction

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation coverageVSAvoidcontact quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The heat sink is divided into multiple independent heat dissipation units, each corresponding to a specific integrated circuit chip. This segmentation allows each unit to be independently adjusted and optimized for its target chip, ensuring reliable thermal contact without compromising overall heat dissipation coverage.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Area of stationary object

If a single heat sink is mounted to contact all chips, then heat dissipation coverage is improved, but excessive mechanical pressure damages thicker chips

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat dissipation coverageVSAvoidchip structural integrity
Core Design Contradiction:
Area of stationary objectVSStrength

Solution Approach 1:

By segmenting the heat sink into multiple independent units, each unit applies mechanical pressure only to its corresponding chip. This eliminates the cumulative excessive pressure problem that occurs when a single large heat sink contacts multiple chips of varying thicknesses, thereby protecting chip structural integrity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each heat dissipation unit can be independently designed and adjusted to match the specific thickness and thermal requirements of its target chip. This local optimization ensures appropriate pressure distribution and prevents damage to thicker chips while maintaining effective thermal contact.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

3Reliability

If separate heat sinks are used for each integrated circuit chip, then contact quality and chip protection are improved, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveheat sink-chip contactVSAvoidheat sink structure
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The heat sink is segmented into multiple independent heat dissipation units that can be separately manufactured and then assembled on the circuit board. This modular approach improves contact quality for each chip while managing complexity through standardized modular components rather than a single complex integrated structure.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

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

Enhances heat dissipation efficacy by ensuring full chip contact and prevents chip damage, improving thermal management for integrated circuit chips on circuit boards.

Implementation Method 1

A commonly used heat dissipation method is to integrally mount a heat sink on a circuit board, so that the heat sink is in contact with all the integrated circuit chips on the circuit board to cool them down

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

The heat sink includes a base plate and a plurality of fins connected to the base plate

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP3695438B1Heat sink, integrated circuit chip and circuit board
Publication Date: 2026.03.11 BEIJING BITMAIN TECHNOLOGIES
  • EP3695438B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3695438B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3695438B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

A heat sink (4) for an integrated circuit chip. The heat sink (4) comprises a base plate (1) and a plurality of fins (2) connected to the base plate (1). The base plate (1) comprises a first segment (11), a second segment (12), and a third segment (13) that are sequentially connected; and the first segment (11) and the third segment (13) extend obliquely upward relative to the second segment (12).