Thermoelectric coolers combined with phase-change material in integrated circuit packages

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11676883-B2
Application number	US-201916355596-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 15, 2019
Priority date	Mar 15, 2019
Publication date	Jun 13, 2023
Grant date	Jun 13, 2023

Abstract

An Integrated Circuit (IC) assembly, comprising an IC package coupled to a substrate, and a subassembly comprising a thermal interface layer. The thermal interface layer comprises a phase change material (PCM) over the IC package. At least one thermoelectric cooling (TEC) apparatus is thermally coupled to the thermal interface layer.

First claim

We claim:

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an integrated circuit (IC) package coupled to a substrate;
a thermal interface layer comprising a phase change material (PCM) over the IC package; and
at least one thermoelectric cooling (TEC) apparatus thermally coupled to the thermal interface layer, wherein the at least one TEC apparatus comprises a first surface over an opposing second surface, wherein the first surface comprises a first thermoelectric junction and the second surface comprises a second thermoelectric junction, and wherein the second thermoelectric junction is adjacent to the thermal interface layer, and the first thermoelectric junction is adjacent to an integrated heat spreader or a heat sink.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the thermal interface layer comprises any one of nonadecane, decanoic acid, eicosane, dodecanoic acid, docosane, stearic acid, tetradecanoic acid, octadecanol, hexadecanoic acid, paraffins, bismuth, lead, tin, cadmium, antimony, indium, thallium, tellurium, selenium, or gallium.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a thermoelectric material of the TEC apparatus comprises any one of bismuth, antimony, lead, phosphorous, arsenic, silicon, germanium, strontium, titanium, oxygen, cobalt, niobium, hafnium, zirconium, selenium, tellurium, iron, nickel, gold, copper, indium, tin, gold, vanadium, manganese, zinc or rare earth elements.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein multiple regions of the TEC apparatus comprise a first array of islands that comprise a n-type thermoelectric material, wherein the first array of islands extend in a first direction and a second direction, and interpenetrates a second array of islands such that islands of the first array alternate with islands of the second array, wherein the second array of islands extends in the first direction and the second direction, and wherein the second array of islands comprise a p-type thermoelectric material.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one temperature sensor coupled to the thermal interface layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a controller electrically coupled to the at least one TEC apparatus; and
a power source coupled to the IC package.

7. An apparatus, comprising:
an integrated circuit (IC) package coupled to a substrate;
a thermal interface layer comprising a phase change material (PCM) over the IC package;
at least one thermoelectric cooling (TEC) apparatus thermally coupled to the thermal interface layer;
at least one temperature sensor coupled to the thermal interface layer; and
a controller coupled to the least one temperature sensor and to the at least one TEC apparatus.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the thermal interface layer has a first surface over and thermally coupled to the IC package and an opposing second surface over the first surface and thermally coupled to a heat sink or an integrated heat spreader.

9. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the IC package is a first IC package stacked over and electrically coupled to a second IC package, and wherein the thermal interface layer is between and thermally coupled to the first and second IC packages.

10. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one TEC apparatus that has a first sidewall that abuts a first edge of the thermal interface layer and a second sidewall that abuts a thermally conductive structure.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein thermally conductive structure is an integrated heat spreader or an electromagnetic interference shield structure.

12. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one TEC apparatus comprises a first surface adjacent to the thermal interface layer and an opposing second surface adjacent to an integrated heat spreader or a heat sink.

13. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the controller is to apply power the at least one TEC apparatus in response to a rise in temperature detected by the at least one temperature sensor.

14. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the at least one temperature sensor is within the IC package, within the thermal interface layer, or at an interface between the IC package and the thermal interface layer.

15. The apparatus of claim 7 , further comprising:
a power source coupled to the IC package.

16. An apparatus, comprising:
an integrated circuit (IC) package coupled to a substrate;
a thermal interface layer comprising a phase change material (PCM) over or adjacent to the IC package; and
at least one thermoelectric cooling (TEC) apparatus thermally coupled to the thermal interface layer, the at least one TEC apparatus having a first sidewall that abuts a first edge of the thermal interface layer and a second sidewall that abuts a thermally conductive structure.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thermal interface layer has a first surface over and thermally coupled to the IC package and an opposing second surface over the first surface and thermally coupled to the thermally conductive structure or a second thermally conductive structure.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the IC package is a first IC package stacked over and electrically coupled to a second IC package, and wherein the thermal interface layer is between and thermally coupled to the first and second IC packages.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the at least one TEC apparatus is on a carrier substrate, wherein the carrier substrate comprises an aperture that surrounds the thermal interface layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a surface of the IC package is in direct contact with the thermally conductive structure or a second thermally conductive structures.

21. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a second TEC apparatus having a first sidewall that abuts a second edge of the thermal interface layer and a second sidewall that abuts the thermally conductive structure.

22. The apparatus of claim 16 , wherein thermally conductive structure is an integrated heat spreader or an electromagnetic interference shield structure.

23. The apparatus of claim 16 , further comprising:
a power source coupled to the IC package.

Assignees

• Intel Corp

Inventors

• Shaikh Javed
• Chang Je-Young
• Lofgreen Kelly
• Tang Weihua
• Uppal Aastha

Classifications

• H10N10/853

  comprising arsenic, antimony or bismuth (H10N10/852 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H10N10/13

  characterised by the heat-exchanging means at the junction · CPC title

• H10N10/82

  Interconnections · CPC title

• H10N10/852

  comprising tellurium, selenium or sulfur · CPC title

• H10W40/735

  by melting or evaporation of solids · CPC title