# US 9,436,235 B2 · Heat sink with an integrated vapor chamber

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- Number: US 9,436,235 B2
- Document ID: US9436235B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/778,053
- Filed: 2013-02-26
- Published: 2014-08-28
- Granted: 2016-09-06
- Earliest claimed: 2013-02-26
- Assignees: NVIDIA Corporation
- Applicants: NVIDIA Corporation
- Inventors: Srinivasa Rao Damaraju; Joseph Walters; Dalton Seth O'Connor
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9436235B2

## CPC

- G06F 1/20: Cooling means
- H10W 40/73: for cooling by change of state
- G06F 2200/201: Cooling arrangements using cooling fluid
- H10W 90/724: {between a chip and a stacked insulating package substrate, interposer or RDL}
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A cooling subsystem is provided for dissipating heat from processor. The cooling subsystem includes a heat sink comprising an upper portion having a plurality of fins formed therein and a base portion fixed to the upper portion to form a vapor chamber in an enclosed volume between the upper portion and the base portion.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A heat sink comprising:
an upper portion having a plurality of fins formed therein; and
a base portion fixed to the upper portion to form a vapor chamber in an enclosed volume between the upper portion and the base portion,
wherein the vapor chamber comprises an interior volume of at least one of the fins in the plurality of fins,
wherein a bottom surface of the base portion contacts a processor such that heat generated by the processor is transferred through the base portion to a pool of liquid contained within the vapor chamber.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the pool of liquid comprises a liquid selected from the group of water, ethanol, methanol, and ammonia.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the upper portion and the base portion are formed from copper or a copper alloy.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The heat sink of claim 1, wherein the upper portion and the base portion are formed from aluminum or an aluminum alloy.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The heat sink of claim 1, further comprising a wick structure.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the wick structure comprises a wire mesh.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the wick structure comprises a sintered metal powder.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The heat sink of claim 5, wherein the wick structure comprises a plurality of grooves formed on an interior surface of the fins.

### Claim 9

A system, comprising:
a processor; and
a heat sink comprising:
an upper portion having a plurality of fins formed therein, and
a base portion fixed to the upper portion to form a vapor chamber in an enclosed volume between the upper portion and the base portion,
wherein the vapor chamber comprises an interior volume of at least one of the fins in the plurality of fins,
wherein a bottom surface of the base portion contacts the processor such that heat generated by the processor is transferred through the base portion to a pool of liquid contained within the vapor chamber.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the pool of liquid comprises a liquid selected from the group of water, ethanol, methanol, and ammonia.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising a fan configured to force air across the plurality of fins.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, the heat sink further comprising a wick structure.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The system of claim 12, wherein the wick structure comprises a sintered metal powder.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the processor is a graphics processing unit.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, wherein the heat sink and the processor are included on an add-in card configured to interface with a slot of a motherboard.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The system of claim 9, further comprising:
a graphics processor; and
a second heat sink comprising:
an upper portion having a plurality of fins formed therein, and
a base portion fixed to the upper portion to form a vapor chamber in an enclosed volume between the upper portion and the base portion,
wherein the heat sink is thermally coupled to the processor and the second heat sink is thermally coupled to the graphics processor, and
wherein the vapor chamber in the second heat sink comprises an interior volume of at least one of the fins in the plurality of fins formed in the upper portion of the second heat sink.