Low cost panel AESA with thermal management

A method of forming a heat spreader on a printed circuit board (PCB), the method comprising:

• providing a PCB having first and second sides and having a power dissipating component operably coupled to a first side of the PCB, the power dissipating component having an underside disposed adjacent to the first side of the PCB and having a plurality of solder contacts disposed therein;
• attaching a structure to the first side of the PCB, the structure comprising a thermally and electrically conductive material having a shape configured to define and separate first and second regions of the PCB, wherein the first region of the PCB includes the power dissipating component, and the second region of the PCB does not include the power dissipating component;
• underfilling a space between the underside of the power dissipating component and the first side of the PCB with a first electrically insulating material configured to electrically insulate the solder contacts of the power dissipating component;
• applying a layer of first temporary protective material to the second region of the PCB;
• depositing a conductive plating membrane to the first region, the second region, and to the structure, wherein a first portion of the conductive plating membrane is configured to overlay the structure, the power dissipating component, and the first region, and wherein a second portion of the conductive plating membrane is configured to overlay the second region;
• applying a layer of second temporary protective material over the second portion of the conductive plating membrane, wherein the layer of the second temporary protective material is configured to leave an exposed first portion of the conductive plating membrane;
• and
• electroplating an electrically and thermally conductive continuous sheet of material over the exposed first portion of the conductive plating membrane, the electroplating configured to couple the electrically and thermally conductive continuous sheet of material to the structure, the power dissipating component, and to areas of the first side of the PCB that fall within the first region and which are not operably coupled to the power dissipating component, to form a heat exchanger.

A method of cooling a power dissipating component operably coupled to a first side of a printed circuit board (PCB), the power dissipating component having an underside disposed adjacent to the first side of the PCB and having a plurality of solder contacts disposed thereon, the method comprising:

• attaching a structure to the first side of the PCB, the structure comprising a thermally and electrically conductive material having a shape configured to define and separate first and second regions of the PCB, wherein the first region of the PCB includes the power dissipating component, and the second region of the PCB does not include the power dissipating component;
• underfilling a space between the underside of the power dissipating component and the first side of the PCB with a material configured to electrically insulate the solder contacts of the power dissipating component;
• applying a layer of first temporary protective material to the second region of the PCB;
• depositing a conductive plating membrane to the first region, the second region, and to the structure, wherein a first portion of the conductive plating membrane is configured to overlay the structure, the power dissipating component, and the first region, and wherein a second portion of the conductive plating membrane is configured to overlay the second region;
• applying a layer of second temporary protective material over the second portion of the conductive plating membrane, wherein the layer of the second temporary protective material is configured to leave an exposed first portion of the conductive plating membrane;
• and
• electroplating an electrically and thermally conductive continuous sheet of material over the exposed first portion of the conductive plating membrane, the electroplating configured to couple the electrically and thermally conductive continuous sheet of material to the structure, the power dissipating component, and to areas of the first side of the PCB that fall within the first region and which are not operably coupled to the power dissipating component, to form a heat exchanger configured for cooling the power dissipating component, wherein the electroplating is configured to provide a void-free interface between the heat exchanger and the power dissipating component.