Heat spreading device and method

A device comprising:

• an interposer;
• a die stack connected to the interposer;
• an encapsulant disposed around the die stack, top surfaces of the encapsulant and the die stack being planar;
• a thermal interface material on the top surfaces of the encapsulant and the die stack;
• a dummy connector in the thermal interface material, the thermal interface material laterally surrounding the dummy connector, the dummy connector being electrically isolated from the interposer and the die stack;
• and
• a heat spreader adhered to the thermal interface material, the heat spreader laterally surrounding the die stack and the interposer.

A device comprising:

• a first package comprising:
• a processor die having an active side and an inactive side;
• an interposer connected to the active side of the processor die;
• and
• a dummy through substrate via (TSV) extending from the inactive side of the processor die into the processor die;
• a package substrate bonded to the first package;
• a heat spreader attached to the package substrate and the first package;
• a thermal interface material disposed between the heat spreader and the first package;
• and
• a dummy connector in the thermal interface material, the dummy connector being electrically isolated from the interposer and the processor die.