US 2023/0422452 A1 · MINI-CHANNEL COLD PLATE WITH THREE-DIMENSIONAL ADAPTIVE FLOW-PATH USING BI-METAL FINS

Abstract

The present disclosure provides for cooling systems, assemblies and methods (e.g., for semiconductor devices; for refrigerant cooling; for cryogenic cooling). More particularly, the present disclosure provides for mini-channel cold plate cooling assemblies, systems and methods for semiconductor devices (e.g., wide-bandgap (WBG) power semiconductor devices), with the cooling assemblies, systems and methods utilizing three-dimensional adaptive flow-paths using bi-metal fins. The present disclosure provides for mini-channel cold plate cooling assemblies, systems and methods that may improve cooling performance and/or enable local cooling control. The present disclosure provides for bi-metal strips that operate as both the surface-temperature sensors and actuators without input energy. The bi-metal strips guide the coolant flow to a low-drag channel when the surface temperature is low, and guide the coolant flow to the near-surface channel when the surface temperature is high.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A cooling assembly comprising:

a cold plate top wall attached to a first cold plate side wall and a second cold plate side wall, the first cold plate side wall attached to a cold plate bottom wall and including a coolant inlet, and the second cold plate side wall attached to the cold plate bottom wall and including a coolant outlet;
a substrate positioned on the cold plate top wall, the substrate having a plurality of semiconductor devices positioned on the substrate;
and
a plurality of bi-metal fins extending from the cold plate top wall towards the cold plate bottom wall;
wherein heat from a semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices causes a coolant introduced between the cold plate top wall and the cold plate bottom wall to raise temperature of the coolant, which causes a bi-metal fin positioned proximal to the heated semiconductor device to deform and change a flow path of the coolant from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.

2 more elements

A cooling method comprising:

providing a cold plate top wall attached to a first cold plate side wall and a second cold plate side wall, the first cold plate side wall attached to a cold plate bottom wall and including a coolant inlet, and the second cold plate side wall attached to the cold plate bottom wall and including a coolant outlet, with a plurality of bi-metal fins extending from the cold plate top wall towards the cold plate bottom wall;
positioning a substrate on the cold plate top wall, the substrate having a plurality of semiconductor devices positioned on the substrate;
and
introducing a coolant between the cold plate top wall and the cold plate bottom wall via the coolant inlet;
wherein heat from a semiconductor device of the plurality of semiconductor devices causes the coolant introduced between the cold plate top wall and the cold plate bottom wall to raise temperature of the coolant, which causes a bi-metal fin positioned proximal to the heated semiconductor device to deform and change a flow path of the coolant from the coolant inlet to the coolant outlet.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Mini-channel cold plate with three-dimensional adaptive flow-path using bi-metal fins

Life of this patent

Mini-channel cold plate with three-dimensional adaptive flow-path using bi-metal fins

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20