Stacking heatpipe for three dimensional electronic packaging

Abstract

Heatpipe elements having a thin flat, rectangular geometry are contstructed according to known heatpipe techniques. An electronic circuit module incorporating multiple discrete and integrated circuit elements is integrally imbedded into a recessed top exterior surface of each heatpipe element. The heatpipe elements are longer in one dimension that the circuit modules imbedded therein, the excess length being partitioned equally on each side of a circuit module. The remaining opposing edges of each circuit module equally overhanging the lateral edges of the heatpipe are configured as area array connectors. The resultant heatpipe/circuit module forms bilateral thermal contact areas for thermally contacting complementary surfaces of immediately adjoining heatpipe/circuit modules. Circuit modules electrically contact preceding and succeeding circuit modules via stacking connectors interposed between the respective area array connectors. The thermal and electrical contact areas of each heatpipe/circuit module permit multiple heatpipe/circuit modules to be vertically stacked upon themselves permitting compact complex electronic systems producing moderate heat fluxes to be conveniently field-assembled and disassembled in any order consistent with the electronic systems' logic scheme, without necessitating special tools or demounting of liquid cooling connections.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.