Textured Thermal Management Device for IC Cooling

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs) often trap air bubbles between surfaces, leading to increased thermal resistance and reduced heat transfer efficiency in integrated circuit (IC) packages, as they cannot effectively manage gas bubbles and achieve the smallest bond line thickness due to surface roughness.

Innovation Solution

A heat management device with a textured surface featuring multiple grooves in an otherwise flat surface, designed to trap gas bubbles in the grooves, utilizing a thermal interface material (TIM) that pushes bubbles out of flat areas, thereby reducing thermal resistance and enhancing heat transfer by increasing the contact area and conductivity.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a conventional flat thermal interface material is used, then the surface appears smooth and easy to manufacture, but air bubbles are trapped between surfaces leading to increased thermal resistance

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveheat transfer efficiencyVSAvoidsurface complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of manufacture

Solution Approach 1:

The heat management device surface is designed with localized grooves in specific regions while maintaining flat areas in other regions. This local differentiation allows the grooves to trap air bubbles locally without affecting the overall flat surface quality, thereby improving heat transfer efficiency by eliminating air voids while maintaining ease of manufacture through selective surface modification

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

2Ease of manufacture

If the surface is made completely flat to reduce manufacturing complexity, then manufacturing is easier, but air bubbles cannot be effectively trapped or removed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesurface flatnessVSAvoidair bubble management

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

Rather than making the entire surface complex, grooves are introduced only in specific localized regions where air bubble trapping is needed. The majority of the surface remains flat, preserving manufacturing simplicity while the localized grooved regions provide the necessary air bubble management functionality

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

The grooves act as intermediary structures that mediate between the flat surface and the air bubbles. They provide designated zones for bubble accumulation and removal while maintaining the overall integrity and flatness of the thermal interface surface

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Reliability

If grooves are added to the surface to trap air bubbles, then thermal resistance is reduced, but the manufacturing process becomes more complex

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvethermal conductivityVSAvoidsurface texture complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The grooves are confined to specific localized regions rather than covering the entire surface. This localized approach reduces the overall device complexity while still achieving the thermal conductivity improvement by eliminating air voids in the critical heat transfer zones

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

Solution Approach 2:

Instead of creating a completely textured surface, only partial regions are grooved - just enough to trap and remove air bubbles effectively. This partial action achieves the necessary thermal performance improvement without unnecessarily increasing device complexity

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

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

The textured heat management device effectively lowers thermal resistance, increases thermal conductivity, and improves heat transfer from IC dies to a heat sink assembly by eliminating air voids and increasing the contact area, resulting in reduced IC operating temperatures.

Implementation Method 1

A heat management device with a textured surface featuring multiple grooves in an otherwise flat surface, designed to trap gas bubbles in the grooves

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCapillary action: Capillary Action

Implementation Method 2

utilizing a thermal interface material (TIM) that pushes bubbles out of flat areas, thereby reducing thermal resistance and enhancing heat transfer

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectThermal conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Data Source

PatentUS9812374B1Thermal management device with textured surface for extended cooling limit

Publication Date: 2017.11.07 XILINX INC

AI summary

Methods and apparatus are described for heat management in an integrated circuit (IC) package using a device with a textured surface having multiple grooves in an otherwise relatively flat surface. The textured surface of the heat management device is designed, in conjunction with a thermal interface material (TIM), to push gas bubbles out of the flat areas such that the gas bubbles are trapped in the grooves or driven out of the interface between the device and the TIM altogether. The area of the grooves is small relative to the ungrooved areas (i.e., the flat areas), such that when the gas bubbles are trapped in the grooved areas, the ungrooved areas work even better for heat transfer. With the area of the regions for the flat portions being substantially greater than the area of the regions for the grooves, the textured heat management device is designed to lower thermal resistance, increase thermal conductivity, and increase heat transfer from one or more IC dies to a heat sink assembly in an IC package.