# US 11,445,640 B1 · Water cooled server

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- Number: US 11,445,640 B1
- Document ID: US11445640B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 17/681,522
- Filed: 2022-02-25
- Granted: 2022-09-13
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-25
- Applicants: Peter C. Salmon
- Inventors: Peter C. Salmon
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11445640B1

## CPC

- H05K 7/20772: {within server blades for removing heat from heat source}
- G06F 1/183: Internal mounting support structures, e.g. for supporting printed circuit boards
- G06F 1/20: Cooling means
- H05K 7/20236: {by immersion}
- H05K 7/20781: {within cabinets for removing heat from server blades}
- G06F 2200/201: Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
- H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)

## Abstract

A computer module includes a substrate having redistribution layers comprising conductors and dielectrics formed on both sides of the substrate. Selected thin film conductors have a half pitch of 2 μm or less. Semiconductor components selected from bare die, chiplets, stacked devices, and low-profile packaged devices are flip chip mounted on the substrate. After grinding and polishing operations, a polished planar surface extends across each side of the substrate, coincident with the back side of the semiconductor components. Copper sheets are bonded to the polished planar surfaces using die attach films. A water-cooled server comprises multiple computer modules disposed in a tank with cooling water circulating around the modules. It dissipates 6.3 MW at a water flow rate of 339 gallons per minute and has a power density of 1 kW/in3.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer module comprising:
a substrate;
redistribution layers comprising thin film conductors and thin film dielectrics formed on a first side and a second side of the substrate, wherein selected thin film conductors have a half-pitch of 2 μm or less;
a plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the substrate at connection points provided by the thin film conductors;
a filler material disposed in spaces between the flip-chip mounted components;
a polished planar surface extending across the substrate at the backside of the flip-chip mounted components on the first side and on the second side of the substrate;
a first metal sheet on the first side and a second metal sheet on the second side of the substrate, each metal sheet bonded to a corresponding polished planar surface using a thermal interface material; and,
a metal base attached to the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet to form a three-sided enclosure that is impervious to water.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1 further comprising a sheet of material forming a splash guard disposed at an open end of the sealed enclosure.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer module of claim 2 wherein a portion of the substrate having thin film conductors and no mounted components protrudes through the splash guard.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1, wherein the plurality of electronic components are selected from bare die, chiplets, stacked devices, and low-profile packaged devices.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The computer module of claim 4, wherein selected the stacked devices comprise a chiplet, an interposer, or a bridge device.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The computer module of claim 2 further comprising a connector attached to the substrate where it protrudes through the splash guard, with terminals of the connector connected to selected thin film conductors.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1 wherein the flip chip components mounted at the second side of the substrate are mirror-imaged in relation to the flip chip components mounted at the first side of the substrate.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1 wherein the thermal interface material comprises a die attach film.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1 wherein the thermal interface material comprises one or more layers of material having a total thickness in the range of 1-50 μm.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1 wherein the attachment of the metal base to each of the first metal sheet and the second metal sheet comprises solder.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The computer module of claim 1 wherein the plurality of electronic components mounted on the substrate are organized in tiles arrayed on each side of the substrate.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The computer module of claim 11 wherein each tile is operable as an independently operable cluster of components.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The computer module of claim 11 wherein each tile includes at least one processor, at least one memory device, at least one communication device, and at least one sensor.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The computer module of claim 11 wherein each tile includes redundant components, a test/monitor chip, and a power distribution device.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The computer module of claim 11 wherein each tile is networked with one or more neighboring tiles on each side of the substrate.

### Claim 16 (depends on 11)

The computer module of claim 11 wherein each module is operable at a power level in the range of 200-500 watts per square inch on each side of the substrate.

### Claim 17

A water-cooled server comprising:
a plurality of computer modules operable when partially immersed in a tank of water, wherein each computer module comprises:
a substrate;
redistribution layers comprising thin film conductors and thin film dielectrics formed on a first side and a second side of the substrate, wherein selected thin film conductors have a half-pitch of 2 μm or less;
a plurality of electronic components flip-chip mounted on the substrate at connection points provided by the thin film conductors;
a filler material disposed in spaces between the flip-chip mounted components;
a polished planar surface at the backside of the flip-chip mounted components at each of the first side and the second side of the substrate;
a first metal sheet on the first side and a second metal sheet on the second side of the substrate, each metal sheet bonded to a corresponding polished planar surface using a thermal interface material; and,
a metal base attached to the first metal sheet and to the second metal sheet to form a three-sided enclosure that is impervious to water.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The water-cooled server of claim 17 further comprising separators disposed between the modules.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The water-cooled server of claim 18 wherein the separators comprise wire structures.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The water-cooled server of claim 17 further comprising a motherboard including a socket for connecting each computer module to the motherboard.

### Claim 21

A method for manufacturing and deploying a water-cooled server comprising:
fabricating computer modules that are operable in water, each computer module comprising a three-walled copper enclosure having the shape of a rectangular prism;
providing a substrate having attached electronic components inside each enclosure;
arraying the computer modules inside a tank with separators between them;
coupling signals and power on each computer module to corresponding terminals on a motherboard;
coupling signals and power on the motherboard to external signals and power using front or rear panel connectors;
circulating cooling the water between the modules at a velocity in the range of 3-24 inches per second; and,
operating the water-cooled server at a power density in the range of 500-1500 watts per cubic inch of tank volume.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The method of claim 21 further comprising:
providing redundant components in each tile;
providing a test/monitor chip and a power distribution device in each tile;
monitoring the health of selected components in each tile using the test/monitor chip and replacing failed or failing components with redundant components using the power distribution device, under command of a system controller;
adapting to changing workloads using agile reconfiguration by employing the power distribution devices to invoke different sets of tiles to execute different workloads as required; and,
providing lifecycle support by replacing failed or failing electronic components with redundant electronic components as required to maintain a predetermined system specification.

### Claim 23

A method for manufacturing a computer module comprising:
providing a substrate;
fabricating redistribution layers having a half-pitch resolution or 2 μm or less on a first side and a second side of the substrate;
mounting a plurality of flip-chip components on each of the first side and the second side of the substrate;
disposing a filler material between the plurality of flip-chip components on each of the first and the second sides of the substrate;
back-grinding and polishing to create a polished planar surface extending across the substrate at the backside of the flip-chip mounted components on each of the first and the second sides of the substrate;
bonding a first metal sheet to the polished planar surface on the first side of the substrate and bonding a second metal sheet to the polished planar surface on the second side of the substrate; and,
attaching a metal base to each of the first and second metal sheets.