Stacked Semiconductor Chips With Liquid Cooling Channels
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling mechanisms for high power semiconductor devices are inefficient in removing waste heat when ambient temperatures are high, as they do not effectively utilize direct contact between the liquid coolant and the semiconductor chip.
Innovation Solution
A stacked array of channeled semiconductor chips is mounted in a sealed container with inlet and outlet passages for liquid coolant, where juxtaposed terminals are electrically joined to form a power electronic circuit, and leadframe terminals engage the chips to facilitate both electrical and fluid connections on a circuit board.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If conventional cooling mechanisms are used for high power semiconductor devices, then the devices can operate, but heat removal efficiency deteriorates when ambient temperatures are high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces liquid coolant as an intermediary substance that directly contacts the semiconductor chip through undercut channels. The coolant acts as a thermal mediator, absorbing heat directly at the heat source (chip) and transporting it away, thereby maintaining efficient heat removal even when ambient temperatures are high. This resolves the contradiction by inserting a thermal transfer medium between the chip and the ambient environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs liquid coolant circulation through hydraulics to achieve superior cooling. By pumping liquid coolant through channels formed by undercutting the chip, the system utilizes fluid dynamics to continuously remove heat from the semiconductor device, overcoming the limitations of conventional air or passive cooling methods when ambient temperatures rise.
2Loss of energy
If the liquid coolant is brought directly into contact with the semiconductor chip, then heat transfer efficiency is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the cooling function directly into the semiconductor chip structure by forming channels within the chip substrate itself through undercutting. This integration combines the chip and cooling channels into a single unified component, eliminating the need for separate cooling apparatus and reducing overall system complexity while maintaining direct coolant contact for superior heat transfer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating channels only in specific regions where heat generation occurs (undercut regions near heat-generating junctions). This localized approach concentrates cooling capacity where it is most needed, improving heat transfer efficiency at the heat source without requiring complex cooling structures throughout the entire device.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple semiconductor chips are stacked to form a power electronic circuit, then the circuit functionality is improved, but the heat management difficulty increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements nesting by stacking multiple semiconductor chips vertically within a single package structure. Each chip is positioned in layers, with coolant channels providing thermal pathways through the stacked arrangement. This nested configuration allows multiple functional circuits to be integrated in a compact volume while maintaining effective heat removal from each chip through the shared coolant flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The liquid coolant serves as a thermal intermediary that penetrates through the stacked chip structure via channels in each chip. The coolant mediates heat transfer from multiple heat-generating junctions across different chip layers, efficiently collecting and transporting heat away from the entire stack, thereby managing heat from multiple devices simultaneously.
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 approach enhances heat transfer efficiency by directly circulating coolant through the channels of the semiconductor chips, effectively managing high waste heat and ambient temperatures in power electronic circuits.
Implementation Method 1
The heat transfer can be significantly improved by bringing the liquid coolant directly into contact with the semiconductor chip (die)... the circulating fluid flows through the channels to remove heat from the chip
Implementation Method 2
liquid coolant is circulated... circulating fluid flows through the channels to remove heat
Data Source
AI summary
A stacked array of channeled semiconductor chips defining a power electronic circuit is mounted in a sealed container provided with inlet and outlet passages for liquid coolant. Leadframe terminals supported by the container engage selected terminals of the semiconductor chips and form leads for mounting the container on a circuit board having electrical and fluid interconnects.