Heat sink system

An integrated circuit assembly comprising:

• a substrate;
• an integrated circuit coupled to the substrate;
• a heat sink thermally coupled to a top surface of the integrated circuit;
• a vertically compressible support structure to provide vertical support for the heat sink;
• and
• a base support structure coupled to the substrate to support and retain the vertically compressible support structure;
• wherein the vertically compressible support structure comprises a tube shaped flexible structure and the base support structure comprises a groove to retain the tube shaped flexible structure.

An assembly comprising:

• a processor substrate;
• an integrated circuit processor package having electrical connections coupled to the processor substrate via an intermediate electrical socket;
• a heat sink having a bottom surface that is thermally coupled to a top surface of the integrated circuit processor package;
• a plurality of vertically compressible support structures vertically located below the heat sink to provide vertical support for the heat sink;
• a plurality of base support structures vertically located below the plurality of vertically compressible support structures, the plurality of base support structures are coupled to the processor substrate to support and retain the plurality of vertically compressible support structures;
• and
• a retention mechanism coupled to the heat sink and to the processor substrate to provide a downward force on the heat sink, the downward force maintaining the thermal coupling between the heat sink and the top surface of the integrated circuit processor package, the downward force further compressing the plurality of vertically compressible support structures.

A method of providing EMI protection for an integrated circuit, the method comprising:

• coupling a metallic heat sink to an electrically conductive, vertically compressible support structure and a base support structure;
• and
• coupling the metallic heat sink, vertically compressible support structure and base support structure to a ground potential to provide EMI shielding about an integrated circuit thermally coupled to the heat sink;
• wherein the electrically conductive vertically compressible support structure is a flexible tube fabricated from a material containing metallic particles.

An integrated circuit assembly comprising:

• a substrate;
• an integrated circuit coupled to the substrate;
• a heat sink thermally coupled to a top surface of the integrated circuit;
• a deformable support structure to provide vertical support for the heat sink;
• and
• a base support structure coupled to the substrate to support and retain the deformable support structure;
• wherein the deformable support structure comprises a tube shaped flexible structure and the base support structure comprises a groove to retain the tube shaped flexible structure.