US 4,567,505 A · Heat sink and method of attaching heat sink to a semiconductor integrated circuit and the like

Abstract

Two bodies such as an integrated circuit and a heat sink are maintained in a low stress and high thermal conductance abutment by pressure from capillary attraction. A surface of one of the bodies is provided with grooves preferably having reentrant surfaces. A surface of the other body is brought into abutment with the grooved surface with a liquid therebetween which partially fills the grooves. The grooves act as reservoirs for excess liquid so that a minimum thickness liquid interface is achieved, and the grooves enable trapped gas to escape out the open ends thereby preventing voids between the two bodies. Importantly, the groove geometry enforces a well-defined attractive force between the two surfaces due to the liquid surface tension.

Claims12

Dependent claims

A combination comprising

a first body having a major generally planar surface,
a second body having a major generally planar surface, said surface of said second body having a first plurality of microscopic grooves therein, each groove having reentrant surfaces and providing a liquid reservoir, and
a liquid material which partially fills and wets the groove surfaces and said major surfaces,
said major surface of said first body being in abutment with said major surface of said second body with said fluid material being therebetween and partially filling said grooves and thereby maintaining said major surfaces in abutment.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Heat sink and method of attaching heat sink to a semiconductor integrated circuit and the like

Life of this patent

Heat sink and method of attaching heat sink to a semiconductor integrated circuit and the like

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims12