Shielded Fluid-Cooled Chip Package to Block Coolant Ingress
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing power module packages face challenges in efficiently removing heat generated during operation while ensuring reliability, particularly in automotive applications, where conventional heat removal methods are costly and prone to electrical and mechanical instability due to moisture ingress.
Innovation Solution
A package design featuring an encapsulant with a shielding layer on its external surface to prevent cooling fluid ingress, combined with a direct cooling architecture using heat removal bodies that are partially embedded and partially exposed, allowing for efficient heat removal and enhanced reliability through double-sided cooling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If direct cooling architecture with fluidic cooling fluid is used to remove thermal energy from electronic chips, then heat removal efficiency is improved, but risk of cooling fluid ingress into package interior increases
Solution Approach 1:
A shielding layer is introduced as an intermediary component between the cooling fluid and the encapsulant. This shielding layer allows thermal energy to pass through while blocking the ingress of cooling fluid into the package interior, thus resolving the contradiction between heat removal efficiency and package reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The package employs a composite structure combining the encapsulant material with a shielding layer having different properties. The shielding layer is designed to be thermally conductive yet impermeable to cooling fluid, creating a composite material system that simultaneously achieves efficient heat removal and fluid protection
2Reliability
If shielding layer is added to prevent cooling fluid ingress, then package reliability is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding layer formation process is merged with the existing encapsulant manufacturing process. By integrating the shielding layer creation into the encapsulation step, the patent avoids adding separate manufacturing stages, thus improving reliability while minimizing increases in manufacturing complexity
3Ease of manufacture
If encapsulant defines part of cooling fluid exposed exterior surface, then cost is reduced, but risk of cooling fluid penetration increases
Solution Approach 1:
The shielding layer serves as a mediator that enables the encapsulant to define the cooling fluid exposed exterior surface without direct contact between cooling fluid and encapsulant. This allows cost reduction by using encapsulant instead of expensive heat removal body materials, while the shielding layer prevents harmful fluid penetration
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 enables efficient heat removal while preventing moisture ingress, ensuring high reliability and cost-effectiveness by reducing the need for extensive heat removal body material and maintaining electrical and mechanical stability.
Implementation Method 1
a shielding layer on at least part of an external surface of the encapsulant configured for shielding an interior of the package with regard to cooling fluid
Implementation Method 2
a heat removal body thermally coupled to a main surface of the at least one electronic chip and configured for removing thermal energy from the at least one electronic chip to cooling liquid
Implementation Method 3
configured for removing thermal energy from the at least one electronic chip to cooling liquid flowing in a cooling cavity
Data Source
AI summary
A package includes: at least one electronic chip; an encapsulant encapsulating at least part of the at least one electronic chip; a shielding layer on at least part of an external surface of the encapsulant; and a first heat removal body thermally coupled to the at least one electronic chip and configured for removing thermal energy from the at least one electronic chip to a cooling fluid. The encapsulant has a surface portion that extends in a surface region extending laterally directly adjacent to the first heat removal body. The surface portion of the encapsulant delimits part of a cooling cavity configured to guide the cooling fluid. The shielding layer covers the surface portion of the encapsulant. A corresponding electronic device, method of manufacturing the package, method of manufacturing the electronic device, vehicle, and method of using the electronic device are also described.