TSV Substrate Microchannels for Convective IC Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Integrating high-power-density semiconductor integrated circuits (ICs) into packages or systems is challenging due to heat generation, which air cooling alone may not adequately dissipate, and the interference of through substrate vias (TSVs) with heat dissipation structures.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of fluid channels for convective cooling beneath heat-generating circuits, while allowing TSVs to be routed orthogonally alongside these channels, providing both effective electrical connectivity and heat dissipation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If through substrate vias (TSVs) are routed beneath circuits to provide electrical connectivity, then electrical connection is achieved, but heat dissipation structures are interfered with or blocked
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from planar heat dissipation structures to three-dimensional microchannel structures. By etching channels that extend vertically and horizontally through the substrate, the heat transfer path is moved into the third dimension, allowing TSVs to coexist with heat dissipation structures without blocking them. The microchannels wrap around TSVs or are positioned adjacent to them, creating a spatial arrangement where electrical connectivity and thermal management occupy different dimensional spaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a nested configuration where microchannels are positioned to wrap around or enclose TSVs. The channels are routed in such a way that they surround the TSV structures, creating a nested arrangement where the heat dissipation pathway incorporates the TSV locations. This allows the cooling fluid to flow in close proximity to the TSVs, extracting heat from the regions where electrical connections are made, thereby resolving the conflict between electrical connectivity and heat dissipation.
2Temperature
If fluid channels are implemented for convective cooling beneath circuits, then heat dissipation is improved, but space for TSV routing is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The substrate is segmented into multiple regions with different functions. Certain areas are designated for TSV routing while adjacent or surrounding areas are allocated for microchannel formation. The etching process is applied selectively to different segments of the substrate, creating a modular structure where TSVs and channels coexist without interference. This segmentation allows the design to accommodate both electrical connectivity requirements and thermal management needs within the same substrate area.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical etching to create three-dimensional channel structures that extend through the substrate thickness. By moving the heat dissipation function into the vertical dimension rather than confining it to the planar surface, the patent creates sufficient lateral space for TSV routing while maintaining effective cooling pathways. The microchannels are formed as vertical or near-vertical structures that provide heat dissipation without occupying lateral space needed for TSV placement.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple etching processes are used to form both TSVs and fluid channels, then both electrical and thermal functions are integrated, but manufacturing complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary patterning and etching of the substrate to create both TSV openings and microchannel structures in a coordinated sequence. The etching masks are designed in advance to define both the TSV locations and the channel pathways simultaneously or in a predetermined sequence. This preliminary planning allows the manufacturing process to integrate multiple functions without requiring excessive sequential steps, as the spatial relationships between TSVs and channels are established early in the fabrication process.
Solution Approach 2:
The etching process is designed to serve multiple functions: creating TSV openings, forming microchannel structures, and defining the spatial relationships between electrical and thermal components. A single etching methodology is applied universally across different regions of the substrate, with process parameters adjusted to achieve the desired structures. This universal approach reduces manufacturing complexity by consolidating multiple specialized processes into a unified etching workflow that accomplishes both electrical connectivity and thermal management integration.
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 enhances heat transfer efficiency by dissipating heat from the circuit to the fluid moving through the channels, while preserving space for TSV routing, thus addressing the challenges of heat management and electrical connectivity in high-power ICs.
Implementation Method 1
The plurality of fluid channels can be sealed between at least the first substrate and the second substrate to facilitate movement of a fluid through the plurality of channels to convect (e.g., dissipate via convection) the heat away from the circuit
Implementation Method 2
A second surface of the device die can be bonded with a second surface of the first substrate to conduct the heat from the circuit to a fluid moved through the plurality of fluid channels
Data Source
AI summary
Technical solutions can provide convective cooling of a heat generating circuit through fluid channels formed beneath the circuit and alongside through substrate vias (TSVs). A plurality of parts of TSVs can be etched perpendicularly inside of a surface of a first substrate, where each of the parts of TSVs can be spaced apart from other parts of the TSVs by a set pitch. A plurality of fluid channels can be etched in the same first substrate, each one of which can be located between one or more of the parts of TSVs. A second substrate including a matching set of parts of TSVs can be bonded to the surface of the first substrate to seal the plurality of fluid channels along the surface of the first substrate and complete the TSVs formation. The plurality of fluid channels can dissipate heat from the circuit in thermal contact with the first substrate.