Wafer-level integrated micro-structured heat spreaders

An electronic assembly comprising

• a. a wafer defining at least one cavity;
• b. at least one chip assembly embedded within the at least one cavity, the at least one chip assembly having a frontside and a backside and comprising a semiconductor material;
• and
• c. a heat spreader made of a metal, the heat spreader being embedded within the at least one cavity and being configured and arranged with a first portion of the metal heat spreader attached to a wall of the wafer and surrounding the at least one chip assembly and a second portion of the metal heat spreader disposed under the backside of the at least one chip assembly and forming at least one elongate microstructure surrounded by at least one channel;
• wherein the at least one elongate microstructure is formed either (i) directly on the backside of the chip assembly or on a metal layer connected thereto or (ii) on a base layer of the metal heat spreader that is formed directly on the backside of the chip assembly or on a metal layer connected thereto;
• wherein the metal heat spreader and the at least one channel occupy a space within the at least one cavity that is not occupied by the at least one chip assembly;
• and
• wherein a configuration of the metal heat spreader with the at least one elongate microstructure surrounded by the at least one channel improves thermal management by reducing stress across the electronic assembly as compared with a configuration wherein a heat spreader made of the metal and occupying the space is a solid configuration without channels.