Compliant thermal contactor
AssigneeCentipede Systems, Inc.
InventorsKonstantine N. Karavakis, Thomas H. Di Stefano, Peter T. Di Stefano
Life of this patent
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Abstract
One embodiment of the present invention is a compliant thermal contactor that includes a resilient metal film having a plurality of first thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a top side thereof and a plurality of second thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a bottom side thereof.
Claims24
A compliant thermal contactor comprising:
- a thermally conductive carrier;
- a plurality of thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a first surface of the carrier;
- and
- a resilient metal film disposed on top of the posts.
A compliant thermal contactor comprising:
- a thermally conductive carrier;
- and
- a plurality of thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on one or more surfaces of the carrier;
- wherein:
- the posts are formed of material comprising a polymeric elastomer and a thermally conductive filler;
- the material has a thermal conductivity greater than about 0.5 W/cm-0 C.;
- and
- the posts include spring structures.
A compliant thermal contactor comprising:
- a resilient metal film having a plurality of first thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a top side thereof and a plurality of second thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a bottom side thereof.
The compliant thermal contactor of 14 wherein the line through a center axis of each of the first compliant posts on the top side of the metal film passes through a space disposed thereunder on the bottom side of the metal film.
A method for thermally contacting an integrated circuit and a heat spreader or a head sink comprises:
- pressing a surface of the integrated circuit and the heat spreader or the heat sink against a first side and a second side, respectively, of a compliant thermal contactor that includes:
- a thermally conductive carrier;
- a plurality of thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a first surface of the carrier;
- and
- a resilient metal film disposed on top of the posts.
A method for thermally contacting an integrated circuit and a heat spreader or a head sink comprises:
- pressing a surface of the integrated circuit and the heat spreader or the heat sink against a first side and a second side, respectively, of a compliant thermal contactor that includes:
- a resilient metal film having a plurality of first thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a top side thereof and a plurality of second thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a bottom side thereof.
A structure comprising an integrated circuit and a heat spreader or a heat sink in thermal contact with a first side and a second side, respectively, of a compliant thermal contactor that includes:
- a thermally conductive carrier;
- a plurality of thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a first surface of the carrier;
- and
- a resilient metal film disposed on top of the posts.
A structure comprising an integrated circuit and a heat spreader or a heat sink in thermal contact with a first side and a second side, respectively, of a compliant thermal contactor that includes:
- a resilient metal film having a plurality of first thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a top side thereof and a plurality of second thermally conductive, compliant posts disposed in an array on a bottom side thereof.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.