Cooling facility and method for integrated circuit
OwnerRalph Ebbuttinventor
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An integrated circuit chip has a first part with active circuitry, and a second part with a major surface defining a chamber. The first part covers the second, to enclose the chamber. Inlet and outlet openings are provided in the edge or face of the chip, so that a cooling facility may be connected to each end to transmit coolant through the passage. The chamber may be a serpentine conduit that occupies a plane parallel to the plane of the chip surface or a generally open space enclosed at the periphery, and having spaced apart support elements. The buried passage may be formed by a conventional surface etching process.
Claims20
An integrated circuit chip comprising:
- a first chip element containing active circuitry;
- a second chip element having a major surface defining a chamber;
- the first chip element overlaying and connected to major surface of the second chip to enclose the chamber;
- and
- the second chip element defining an inlet aperture and an outlet aperture, such that cooling fluid may enter the inlet aperture and exit the outlet aperture to cool the first chip element.
A method of manufacturing an integrated circuit comprising the steps of:
- providing a first wafer having a plurality of first sectors, each first sector including a set of circuitry for an integrated circuit chip;
- providing a second wafer having a plurality of second sectors, each second sector corresponding to a first sector of the first wafer;
- forming a channel in each second sector, at a major surface of the second wafer;
- attaching the first wafer to the major surface of the second wafer;
- and
- singulating the sectors into separate chips.
A circuit comprising:
- an integrated circuit chip containing active circuitry and having a peripheral edge;
- the chip defining a passage within the chip and having an inlet and an outlet at the peripheral edge;
- and
- a cooling facility having conduits connected to the inlet and the outlet, and operable to transmit fluid through the passage.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.