Integrated circuit with integrally formed micro-channel oscillating heat pipe
AssigneeThermAvant Technologies, LLC
InventorsChristopher D. Smoot, Joe Boswell, Corey Wilson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A miniaturized oscillating heat pipe (OHP) embedded within an integrated circuit (IC) is provided. The miniaturized oscillating heat pipe (OHP) integrally formed within an integrated circuit (IC) is fabricated to form a monolithic IC device using silicon (or similar future semiconductors) fabrication techniques. The OHP is operable to transfer high local heat fluxes within the IC device to more accessible locations on the IC device for heat rejection to an available heat sink.
Claims13
An integrated circuit device, said device comprising:
- a single body monolithic non-porous substrate,
- at least one semiconductor device integrally formed with and having electrical continuity within the single body monolithic non-porous substrate, and
- at least one internal oscillating heat pipe integrally and wholly formed and enclosed within, in its entirety, the single body monolithic non-porous substrate, the at least one internal oscillating heat pipe comprising at least one meandering multi-pass channel laterally extending throughout the entire single body monolithic non-porous substrate and having a closed loop design, the at least one internal oscillating heat pipe structured and operable to spread heat generated by the at least one semiconductor device, via motion of a working fluid within the at least one multi-pass channel, the motion generated by the heat from the at least one semiconductor device, away from the at least one semiconductor device, across one or more surface of the single body monolithic non-porous substrate, to minimize a maximum temperature of the entire integrated circuit device.
A method for fabricating an integrated circuit device, said method comprising:
- fabricating a single body monolithic non-porous substrate, wherein the fabricating of the single body monolithic non-porous substrate comprises integrally forming at least one internal oscillating heat pipe within the single body monolithic non-porous substrate such that the at least one internal oscillating heat pipe is integrally and wholly formed and enclosed, in its entirety, within the single body monolithic non-porous substrate, wherein the at least one internal oscillating heat pipe comprising at least one meandering multi-pass channel laterally extending throughout the entire single body monolithic non-porous substrate and having a closed loop design;
- and
- integrally forming at least one semiconductor device with the single body monolithic non-porous substrate such that the at least one semiconductor device has electrical continuity within the single body monolithic non-porous substrate and is thermally connected to the at least one internal oscillating heat pipe integrally and wholly formed and enclosed therewithin such that the at least one internal oscillating heat pipe is structured and operable to spread heat generated by the at least one semiconductor device, via motion of a working fluid within the at least one multi-pass channel, the motion generated by the heat from the at least one semiconductor device, away from the at least one semiconductor device, across one or more surfaces of the single body monolithic non-porous substrate, to minimize a maximum temperature of the entire integrated circuit device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.