Polymer-based microfabricated thermal ground plane
AssigneeKelvin Thermal Technologies, Inc.
InventorsRyan John Lewis, Yung-Cheng Lee, Li-Anne Liew, Yunda Wang
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments described herein relate to the concept and designs of a polymer-based thermal ground plane. In accordance with one embodiment, a polymer is utilized as the material to fabricate the thermal ground plane. Other embodiments include am optimized wicking structure design utilizing two arrays of micropillars, use of lithography-based microfabrication of the TGP using copper/polymer processing, micro-posts, throttled releasing holes embedded in the micro-posts, atomic layer deposition (ALD) hydrophilic coating, throttled fluid charging structure and sealing method, defect-free ALD hermetic coating, and compliant structural design.
Claims24
A thermal ground plane comprising:
- a bottom layer, having edges;
- a top layer, having edges, wherein the top layer and the bottom layer are sealed together along the edges of the top layer and the edges of the bottom layer;
- a mesh layer disposed on the bottom layer, the mesh layer comprising a plurality of wires and having a plurality of elongated arteries cut within the mesh layer that extend along a portion of a length of the mesh layer and each of the elongated arteries are arranged in parallel;
- and
- a plurality of top pillars disposed on the top layer and do not extend through the plurality of arteries.
A thermal ground plane comprising:
- a bottom layer having edges;
- a top layer having edges, wherein the top layer and the bottom layer are sealed together along the edges of the top layer and the edges of the bottom layer;
- a mesh layer disposed on the bottom layer, the mesh layer comprising a plurality of arteries cut through the mesh layer, the plurality of arteries extend along a portion of a length of the mesh layer;
- a plurality of top pillars disposed on the top layer, the plurality of top pillars extend from the top layer substantially to the mesh layer, and
- a plurality of return pillars disposed on the bottom layer, the plurality of return pillars disposed within and extending through the plurality of arteries.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.