Thermal solutions for system-in-package assemblies in portable electronic devices

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9820373-B2
Application number	US-201414503067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 30, 2014
Priority date	Jun 26, 2014
Publication date	Nov 14, 2017
Grant date	Nov 14, 2017

Abstract

A compact portable electronic device packaged into a System-in-Package assembly and thermal solutions for the device is disclosed. The compact portable electronic device can be assembled into a single package to reduce size and enhance form factor. Several tens or hundreds of components including multiple dies, passive components, mechanical or optical components can be packaged into a single system on a printed circuit board. One or more of the components can dissipate a lot of power resulting in the generation of excess heat. To remove the excess heat, the device can include one or more thermal solutions such as internal thermal plugs, heat spreaders, internal embedded heat sinks, and/or external heat sinks. In some examples, the thermal solutions can dissipate heat via conduction to the bottom of the substrate or via convection to the top of the system or a combination of both.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An electronic device, comprising:
a substrate; and
a system in package assembly comprising:
a plurality of components, the plurality of components including a first component including a first surface mounted to the substrate and a second surface, and
one or more thermal plugs including a first thermal plug mounted to the second surface of the first component, wherein a first surface of the first thermal plug directly contacts the second surface of the first component, and a second surface of the first thermal plug directly contacts a shielding layer,
the shielding layer dissipating and spreading heat by the first thermal plug to the substrate, wherein the shielding layer is electrically connected to ground.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein a size of the one or more thermal plugs is same as a size of the plurality of components.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more thermal plugs is electrically coupled to a ground or ground plane.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising an insulating layer, the insulating layer coating sides of the plurality of components and the one or more thermal plugs.

5. The device of claim 4 , further comprising a plurality of trenches formed in the insulating layer, wherein a width of each of the plurality of trenches is between 10-100 microns.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shielding layer and at least one of the one or more thermal plugs is electrically coupled.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the shielding layer is electrically coupled to a ground or ground plane.

8. A method for forming an electronic device, comprising:
forming a substrate; and
forming a system in package assembly, comprising:
mounting a first surface of a plurality of components to the substrate, the plurality of components including a first component,
mounting one or more thermal plugs including mounting a first thermal plug to a second surface of first component, wherein a first surface of the first thermal plug directly contacts a second surface of the first component, and a second surface of the first thermal plug directly contacts a shielding layer,
forming the shielding layer, the shielding layer configured to dissipate and spread heat by first thermal plug to the substrate,
electrically connecting the shielding layer to ground.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
forming an insulating layer, the insulating layer coating sides of the plurality of components and the one or more thermal plugs.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the insulating layer is formed using at least one of a tape-assisted transfer molding process, lapping, polishing, and etching.

Assignees

• Apple Inc

Inventors

• Pennathur Shankar S
• Ribas Carlos A S
• Teoman Deniz
• Eng Michael

Classifications

• G06F1/20 Primary

  Cooling means · CPC title

• H05K3/303

  with surface mounted components (H05K3/32 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H05K1/0212 Primary

  Printed circuits or mounted components having integral heating means · CPC title

• H05K1/023

  using auxiliary mounted passive components or auxiliary substances (printed passive components H05K1/16) · CPC title

• H05K1/0203

  Cooling of mounted components (H05K1/0272 takes precedence) · CPC title