Spray cooling with local control of nozzles
AssigneeHewlett-Packard Company
InventorsChandrakant D. Patel, Cullen E. Bash
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A semiconductor chip cooling system configured with thermal inkjet type sprayers controlled by a control system. The control system can operate groups of the sprayers at different rates to controllably cool separate regions of a chip at different rates. A detection system is configured to separately detect the cooling regime occurring on the different regions of the chip by reflecting an optical beam off the chip in the region that is being sprayed.
Claims21
A method for cooling an electronic or optical component having first and second regions characterized by first and second thermal dissipation rates, respectively, comprising:
- spraying both the first and second regions of the electronic or optical component with cooling fluid;
- and
- controlling the spraying of the first and second regions such that cooling fluid is sprayed on the first region at a mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating thermal energy from the first region at the first thermal dissipation rate, and such that cooling fluid is sprayed on the second region at a mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating thermal energy from the second region at the second thermal dissipation rate.
An apparatus for cooling an electronic or optical component having first and second regions characterized by first and second thermal dissipation rates, respectively, comprising:
- means for spraying both the first and second regions of the electronic or optical component with cooling fluid;
- and
- means for controlling means of spraying such that cooling fluid is sprayed on the first region at a mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating thermal energy from the first region at the first thermal dissipation rate, and such that cooling fluid is sprayed on the second region at a mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating thermal energy from the second region at the second thermal dissipation rate.
A cooling system for cooling an electronic or optical component having first and second regions characterized by first and second thermal dissipation rates, respectively, comprising:
- a sprayer head having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having one or more sprayers targeted to spray cooling fluid substantially at the first region of the electronic or optical component, and the second portion having one or more sprayers targeted to spray cooling fluid substantially at the second region of the electronic or optical component;
- and
- a control system configured to individually control each sprayer head portion such that the first sprayer head portion has a cooling-fluid mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating the thermal energy of the first region at the first thermal dissipation rate, and such that the second sprayer head portion has a cooling-fluid mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating the thermal energy of the second region at the second thermal dissipation rate.
A cooled semiconductor assembly, comprising:
- a semiconductor device mounted on a substrate, the device having first and second regions characterized by first and second thermal dissipation rates, respectively;
- a housing configured to adjoin the substrate, the housing having a cavity that forms a spray chamber containing the device when the housing is adjoined to the substrate;
- a sprayer head mounted in the housing, the sprayer head having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having one or more sprayers targeted to spray cooling fluid substantially at the first region of the device, and the second portion having one or more sprayers targeted to spray cooling fluid substantially at the second region of the device;
- and
- a control system configured to individually control each sprayer head portion such that the first sprayer head portion has a cooling-fluid mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating the thermal energy of the first region at the first thermal dissipation rate, and such that the second sprayer head portion has a cooling-fluid mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating the thermal energy of the second region at the second thermal dissipation rate.
A method for cooling a semiconductor device having first and second regions characterized by first and second thermal dissipation rates, respectively, comprising:
- spraying the device with a sprayer head having a first portion and a second portion, the first portion having one or more sprayers targeted to spray cooling fluid substantially at the first region of the device, and the second portion having one or more sprayers targeted to spray cooling fluid substantially at the second region of the device;
- and
- controlling the sprayers of each sprayer head portion such that the first sprayer head portion has a cooling-fluid mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating the thermal energy of the first region at the first thermal dissipation rate, and such that the second sprayer head portion has a cooling-fluid mass flow rate appropriate for dissipating the thermal energy of the second region at the second thermal dissipation rate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.