U.S. patent application number 10/919961 was filed with the patent office on 2005-04-21 for heat-dissipating structure and method of manufacturing the same.
This patent application is currently assigned to MALICO INC. Invention is credited to Liang, Robert.
Application Number | 20050082042 10/919961 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 34511653 |
Filed Date | 2005-04-21 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050082042 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Liang, Robert |
April 21, 2005 |
Heat-dissipating structure and method of manufacturing the same
Abstract
A heat-dissipating structure and a manufacturing method thereof
are provided The heat-dissipating structure includes a heat piece
and a heat sink, wherein the heat piece includes an opening, a
containing space, a wall surrounding the containing space, and a
relatively high-volatility liquid is filled in the containing
space. The manufacturing method includes steps of connecting the
heat sink with the wall of the containing space for sealing the
containing space by the heat sink, filling the containing space
with the relatively high-volatility liquid through the opening, and
closing the opening.
Inventors: |
Liang, Robert; (Taoyuan
County, TW) |
Correspondence
Address: |
Webb Ziesenheim Logsdon Orkin & Hanson, P.C.
700 Koppers Building
436 Seventh Avenue
Pittsburgh
PA
15219-1818
US
|
Assignee: |
MALICO INC
|
Family ID: |
34511653 |
Appl. No.: |
10/919961 |
Filed: |
August 17, 2004 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
165/104.33 ;
257/E23.088 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H01L 23/427 20130101;
H01L 2924/0002 20130101; H01L 2924/3011 20130101; H01L 2924/00
20130101; F28D 15/0233 20130101; F28F 3/02 20130101; H01L 2924/0002
20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
165/104.33 |
International
Class: |
F28D 015/00 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Aug 22, 2003 |
TW |
092123238 |
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A heat-dissipating structure comprising: a heat piece comprising
a containing space with a wall surrounding therearound; and a heat
sink connected with said heat piece through said wall for sealing
up said containing space.
2. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 1 wherein said
heat piece is made of one of a metal having a high conduction
coefficient and an alloy thereof.
3. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 2 wherein said
metal is copper (Cu).
4. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 2 wherein said
metal is aluminum (Al).
5. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 1 wherein
inner surfaces of said heat piece and said wall further comprise a
metal powder layer disposed thereon.
6. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 5 wherein said
metal powder is a copper (Cu) powder.
7. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 1 wherein said
heat piece further comprises a relatively high-volatility liquid
filled in said containing space.
8. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 1 wherein said
heat sink is made of one of a metal having a high conduction
coefficient and an alloy thereof.
9. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 8 wherein said
metal is copper (Cu).
10. The heat-dissipating structure according to claim 8 wherein
said metal is aluminum (Al).
11. A method of manufacturing a heat-dissipating structure, wherein
said heat-dissipating structure comprises a heat piece and a heat
sink, said heat piece comprises an opening and a containing space
with a wall surrounding therearound and said containing space is
filled by a relatively high-volatility liquid, said method
comprising steps of: (a) connecting said heat sink with said wall
of said containing space for sealing said containing space by said
heat sink; (b) filling said containing space with said relatively
high-volatility liquid through said opening; and (c) closing said
opening.
12. The method according to claim 11 wherein said step (a) further
comprises a step of: forming a metal powder layer on inner surfaces
of said heat piece and said wall.
13. The method according to claim 11 wherein said step (a) is
performed by welding for connecting said heat sink with said wall
of said containing space.
14. The method according to claim 11 wherein said step (b) is
performed through creating a vacuum so as to fill said containing
space with said relatively high-volatility liquid.
Description
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention is related to a heat-dissipating
structure, and more particularly to a heat-dissipating structure
made of a heat sink and a heat piece and a method of manufacturing
the same.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0002] Since Jack Kilby who worked in Texas Instruments had
invented the integrated circuit in 1959, the manufacturing process
of semiconductor has been significantly improved in these few
decades. In 1965, Mr. Moore who worked in Fairchild Semiconductor
outlined the famous Moore's Law which influenced the semiconductor
industry critically and the semiconductor technology indeed has
progressed rapidly as his forecast therefrom. Therefore, the
semiconductor manufacture technology has been developed from the
minimum 0.7 mm line width and 100,000 pieces of transistors in 1989
to 0.13 mm line width and 5,000,000 pieces of transistors in 2000.
In twenty-first century, the technology further has achieved the
0.1 mm line width and 10,000,000 pieces of transistors, and a
Nano-century comes.
[0003] However, the diminution of electronic product influences the
components and the systems correspondingly. The functions of chip
are increased prominently but the area of chip is maintained the
same or even less. It's become a huge challenge for the
semiconductor engineers to adjust the capacity for more transistors
and dissipate the increasing heat within the limited space. It is
expectable, in the future, the functions of the chipset will be
more powerful, the combined chipset will contain more and more
chips, and the heat-dissipating problem will be a big barrier
needed to be overcome.
[0004] Accordingly, the engineers try to solve this problem by
designing various kinds of heat-dissipating devices. Generally, a
heat-dissipating device includes fans and metals with high
conduction coefficients, such as aluminum and copper. The
heat-dissipating device is tightly stuck on the metal with high
conduction coefficient, the thermal energy generated from the heat
source is conducted to the end of the metal, and then the metal is
cooled by the fans. This is a basic designed principle to maintain
the running of the heat source under a fixed operation temperature
by using the air convection. Such practicing process is identical
with those of the radiator in a car, the heat-dissipating device in
a household air conditioning, and the new and very large fan in an
over-clocking desktop. However, the difference between the
foregoing the heat-dissipating device of a computer and
applications is that the heat-dissipating device in the computer
must be designed for maintaining the convection and conduction in a
small space thereof
[0005] Presently, a conventional heat-dissipating mode is that the
heat generated from the heat sources of a CPU or a Video Graphics
Array (VGA) in a computer is conducted to a heat sink or metals
with high conduction coefficients through a packaging surface
thereof and conducted to the heat-dissipating device, such as the
fan and the heat sink, through the heat pipe to exhaust. However,
this heat-dissipating mode is arrived by a thermal conduction
between these devices and the entire thermal impedances thereof are
increased and the cost is raised when the heat is exhausted through
these devices. Moreover, mostly conventional heat sinks are made of
aluminum alloys with middle conduction ability and maybe fail to
cope with the present device having a increasingly heating
power.
[0006] Furthermore, the reduced dimension and integrated function
are the trends for the chip development. Thermal energy generated
from chips is uniformly conducted to the whole heat piece by the
heat pipe with high heat conductibility so as to reduce the
instabilities of components come from of a local hotspot and to
enhance the reliabilities and lifespans of the components.
[0007] The heat pipe is composed of a sealed receptacle, a
capillary structure and a working fluid with a lower boiling point.
The sealed receptacle is sealed after filling the working fluid
with the lower boiling point into the vacuum cavity of the
receptacle. And, the working fluid is at saturation state in the
sealed receptacle. When one end of the receptacle is heated, the
working fluid is vaporized accordingly and the vapor generated from
the working fluid is condensed into coagulated liquids at another
end of the receptacle. Moreover, the coagulated liquids are flowed
to the heated end by capillarity or gravity, and a thermal exchange
circulation is competed.
[0008] Because the thermal energy of the working fluid in the heat
pipe is absorbed through a phase change between the liquid phase
and the gas phase and is transmitted by a gas molecule, the heat
conduction coefficient thereof is fifty times higher than aluminum
and copper and the heat conductive effect is much better.
[0009] In practice, several kinds of heat sink structures and
manufacturing processes thereof have been applied for the preceding
heat pipe theory and describe as follows:
[0010] (1) A first heat-dissipating structure is formed by a heat
sink 10 and a heat piece 11.
[0011] As shown in FIG. 1, which is a schematic view showing a
first conventional heat-dissipating structure 1. The first
heat-dissipating structure 1 is formed by the heat sink 10 and the
heat piece 11, wherein the heat piece 11 includes the condenser 110
on a upper layer thereof and the evaporator 111 on a lower layer
thereof. The manufacturing processes include creating a vacuum
space between the condenser 110 and evaporator 111, filling the
vacuum space with high-volatility liquids and sealing up the vacuum
space. In the manufacturing process of the heat-dissipating
structure, the heat sink 10 and the heat piece 11 are respectively
manufactured and then they are welded. Such process has two
shortcomings. Firstly, a housing thickness of the heat piece 11 is
between 1.about.3 mm, and an inflation is occurred in the heat
piece 11 owing to the high temperature from welding, such that the
inner structure thereof is broken and the heat-dissipating function
is lowered or even lost. Secondly, the inflation will make a
surface of the heat piece 11 uneven and leaky, and break the
connection between the heat piece 11 and the heat sink 10, so that
the heat-dissipating efficiency in the first heat-dissipating
structure 1 will be affected accordingly.
[0012] (2) A second heat-dissipating structure is formed by a frame
22 combined with a heat sink 20 and a heat piece 21.
[0013] As shown in FIG. 2, which is a schematic view showing a
second conventional heat-dissipating structure 2, in which the heat
sink 20 and the heat piece 21 are fixed by using the frame 22.
Moreover, the heat piece 21 includes a condenser 210 and an
evaporator 211 and is similar to the heat piece 11 shown in FIG. 1.
But two shortcomings are generated therefrom. Firstly, the heat
sink 20 and the heat piece 21 merely are combined by the frame 22
through using screws or other fixing methods, and the combination
of the heat sink 20 and the heat piece 21 is not closed enough, so
that the heat-dissipating efficiency is poor. Secondly, a completed
second heat-dissipating structure 2 is composed of the frame 22,
the heat piece 21 and the heat sink 20 and has too many contact
interfaces resulting in a too long heat-dissipating pathway, so
that the heat-dissipating efficiency is affected.
[0014] (3) A third heat-dissipating structure is formed by a
plurality of cooling fins 30 and a the heat piece 31 welded by the
plurality of cooling fins 30.
[0015] As shown in FIG. 3, which is a schematic view showing a
third conventional heat-dissipating structure. The third
heat-dissipating structure 3 is different from the former
heat-dissipating structures, and the plurality of cooling fins 30
are respectively welded on an upper condenser 310 of the heat piece
31 after the heat piece 31 is manufactured. The contact area, i.e.
a extension portion 301 of each cooling fin 30, between the cooling
fin 30 and the heat piece 31 in the third heat-dissipating
structure 3 is less than that of the former prior arts. However,
this prior art fails to avoid the defects of the former prior arts,
wherein the heat piece 31 is manufactured first and then welded, so
that an inflation and a poor connection are still occurred
therein.
[0016] Additionally, a fourth heat-dissipating structure 4 shown in
FIG. 4 is similar to the third heat-dissipating structure 3. The
same function of the former heat piece is performed by using a
copper tube 40 of the heat-dissipating structure 4. However, a
basic problem of affecting the heat-dissipating efficiency still is
not solved. Because a fixing method of cooling fins 41 respectively
welded on the finished copper tube 40 filled with high-volatility
liquids is identical to that of the third heat-dissipating
structure 3, the fourth heat-dissipating structure 4 still has the
inflation and the poor connection between the cooling fins 41 and
the copper tube 40.
[0017] (4) A fifth heat-dissipating structure 5 is formed by a
plurality of cooling fins 50 and a cooper pipe 51 covered
thereby.
[0018] As shown in FIG. 5, which shows an improved study for
improving the poor connection of the fourth heat-dissipating
structure 4. The cooling fins 50 and the fifth heat-dissipating
structure 5 are formed integrally and heated-up, so that the
opening 52 has a thermal expansion and is able to contain the
cooper pipe 51. Then the opening 52 is cooled down to be contracted
for faying the cooper pipe 51. However, the filling process of the
cooper pipe 51 is earlier than the faying or assembling process
thereof, and the former shortcoming still is exist.
[0019] Therefore, a purpose of the present invention is to develop
a structure to deal with the above situations encountered in the
prior art.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0020] It is therefore an object of the present invention to
provide a heat-dissipating structure and a method of manufacturing
the same including a new manufacturing process for integrating a
heat sink with a heat piece to avoid a welding process of
integrating the heat piece with the heat sink. In addition, the
connection between the heat sink and the heat piece, and the
heat-dissipating efficiency are better in the present
heat-dissipating structure.
[0021] According to an aspect of the present invention, a
heat-dissipation structure including a heat piece and a heat sink
is provided. The heat piece includes a containing space with a wall
surrounding therearound and the heat sink is connected with the
heat piece through the wall for sealing up the containing
space.
[0022] Preferably, the heat piece is made of one of a metal having
a high conduction coefficient and an alloy thereof
[0023] Preferably, the metal is copper (Cu).
[0024] Preferably, the metal is aluminum (Al).
[0025] Preferably, inner surfaces of the heat piece and the wall
further include a metal powder layer disposed thereon.
[0026] Preferably, the metal powder is a copper (Cu) powder.
[0027] Preferably, the heat piece further includes a relatively
high-volatility liquid filled in the containing space.
[0028] Preferably, the heat sink is made of one of a metal having a
high conduction coefficient and an alloy thereof.
[0029] Preferably, the metal is copper (Cu).
[0030] Preferably, the metal is aluminum (Al).
[0031] According to another aspect of the present invention, a
method of manufacturing a heat-dissipating structure is provided.
The heat-dissipating structure includes a heat piece and a heat
sink, the heat piece includes an opening and a containing space
with a wall surrounding therearound, and the containing space is
filled by a relatively high-volatility liquid. The method includes
steps of (a) connecting the heat sink with the wall of the
containing space for sealing the containing space by the heat sink,
(b) filling the containing space with the relatively
high-volatility liquid through the opening, and (c) closing the
opening.
[0032] Preferably, the step (a) further includes a step of forming
a metal powder layer in inner surface of the heat piece and the
wall.
[0033] Preferably, the step (a) is performed by welding for
connecting the heat sink with the wall of the containing space.
[0034] Preferably, the step (b) is performed through creating a
vacuum so as to fill the containing space with the relatively
high-volatility liquid.
[0035] The above contents and advantages of the present invention
will become more readily apparent to those ordinarily skilled in
the art after reviewing the following detailed descriptions and
accompanying drawings, in which:
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a first conventional
heat-dissipating structure;
[0037] FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing a second conventional
heat-dissipating structure;
[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic view showing a third conventional
heat-dissipating structure;
[0039] FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing a forth conventional
heat-dissipating structure;
[0040] FIG. 5 is a schematic view showing a fifth conventional
heat-dissipating structure;
[0041] FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing a heat-dissipating
structure according to a preferred embodiment of the present
invention; and
[0042] FIG. 7 is a cross-section view of the heat-dissipating
structure in FIG. 6.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] The present invention will now be described more
specifically with reference to the following embodiment. It is to
be noted that the following descriptions of preferred embodiment of
this invention are presented herein for purpose of illustration and
description only; it is not intended to be exhaustive or to be
limited to the precise form disclosed.
[0044] Referring to FIG. 6, which is a schematic view showing a
heat-dissipating structure according to a preferred embodiment of
the present invention. The manufacturing process of the present
heat-dissipating structure 6 includes spreading over a cooper
powder layer 62 on the bottom surface of a containing space 611 of
a trough-shaped heat piece 61 through sintering, closely welding
the heat sink 60 at the wall 612 surrounding the containing space
611, filling a high-volatility liquid into the containing space 611
through the opening 613 of the wall 612 surrounding of containing
space 611, and closing the opening 613.
[0045] The present heat-dissipating structure 6 is accomplished by
welding the heat sink 60 to the wall 612 surrounding the heat
containing space 611 of the heat piece 61 firstly and filling the
high-volatility liquid into the heat containing space 611 lately,
so that it decreases the manufacture cost of the heat piece 61 and
shortens the heat-dissipating pathway. Further, the high-volatility
liquid is filled into the heat piece 61 after the welding process,
so that the present heat-dissipating structure 6 is able to
eliminate the possible inflation damages happened to the inner
structure of the heat piece 61 in the prior arts, and the
connecting ability between the heat piece 61 and the heat sink 60
is improved.
[0046] Please FIG. 7, which is a cross view of the heat-dissipating
structure in FIG. 6. After receiving the thermal energy generated
from IC chips (not shown) and transformed via the trough-shaped
heat piece 72 made of one of a metal having a high conduction
coefficient, such as cooper, aluminum and so on, and an alloy
thereof, and the high-volatility liquid 71 is evaporated to vapor
and then raised close to the bottom of a heat sink 70. Further, the
heat sink 70 is made of a material similar to that of the
trough-shaped heat piece 72, so that the thermal energy of vapor
will be absorbed by the heat sink 70 to exhaust out and the
high-volatility liquid 71 is re-condensed due to an exothermic
reaction. Moreover, a heat exchange circulation of the
high-volatility liquid 71 is accomplished by a capillarity or a
gravitational backflow in a cooper powder layer 73 surrounded on
the inner wall of the trough-shaped heat piece 72.
[0047] Therefore, according to the above description, it is
understood that the manufacturing technique for the present
heat-dissipating structure can overcome the defects generated from
the prior manufacturing processes. Further, the differences between
the prior arts and the present invention and the advancements of
the present invention, based on the heat-dissipating structure in
FIG. 7, are respectively described as follow.
[0048] (1) Compared with the first conventional heat-dissipating
structure 1 according to FIG. 1, the trough-shaped heat piece 72 is
applied in the present heat-dissipating structure 7 and a base 701
of the heat sink 70 is serviced as a conducting interface rather
than the condenser 110 on the heat piece 11 in FIG. 1. Therefore,
the heat-dissipating pathway of the present heat-dissipating
structure 7 has less conducting interfaces than that in FIG. 1 and
has a better conduction efficiency. In addition, the present
heat-dissipating structure 7 is accomplished by filling the
high-volatility liquid 71 after welding the heat sink 70 to the
heat piece 72, so that the inflation and the poor connection
between the heat sink 70 and the heat piece 72 would be avoided and
a better heat-dissipating efficiency is generated therefrom.
[0049] (2) Compared with the second conventional heat-dissipating
structure 2 according to FIG. 2, similar to the first conventional
heat-dissipating structure 1 of FIG. 1, the trough-shaped heat
piece 72 is applied in the present heat-dissipating structure 7 and
the base 701 of the heat sink 70 is serviced as a conducting
interface rather than the condenser 210 on the heat piece 22 in
FIG. 2. In addition, the present heat-dissipating structure 7 is
accomplished by filling the high-volatility liquid 71 after welding
the heat sink 70 to the heat piece 72, so that the inflation and
poor connection between the heat sink 70 and the heat piece 72
would be avoided. Further, the frame 22 of FIG. 2 is not available
to the resent heat-dissipating structure 7, so that yield ratio of
the connection is increased and the relevant cost is decreased.
[0050] (b 3) Compared with the third conventional heat-dissipating
structure 3 according to FIG. 3, the present invention still has
the advantage described above. Although the contact area in FIG. 3,
i.e. extension portion 301, between the plurality of cooling fins
30 and the heat piece 30 is smaller than the contact areas, i.e.
the condensers 110, 210, in the first and second conventional
heat-dissipating structures 1, 2, it still has the problems of the
inflation and the poor connection. In addition, since the third
conventional heat-dissipating structure 3 still includes an extra
conducting interface compared with the present heat-dissipating
structure 7, it includes a poor heat-dissipating efficiency.
Besides, the manufacturing process for the third conventional
heat-dissipating structure 3 is identical to the those of the above
two prior arts, wherein the step of welding the cooling fins 31 is
after the step of fabricating the heat piece 31. However, the
present heat-dissipating structure 7 is accomplished by filling the
high-volatility liquid 71 after welding the heat sink 70 to the
heat piece 72, so that the inflation and poor connection between
the heat sink 70 and the heat piece 72 would be avoided. Otherwise,
the same results could be used as the comparison between the
conventional heat-dissipating structures 4, 5 shown in FIG. 4 and
FIG. 5 and the present heat-dissipating structure 7 in FIG. 7.
[0051] In conclusion, it is understood that the present
heat-dissipating structure could enhance the connection between the
heat sink and the heat piece. Further, an excellent
heat-dissipating efficiency is achieved by modifying the
conventional manufacturing process and providing a new
heat-dissipating assembly according to the present invention.
[0052] While the invention has been described in terms of what are
presently considered to be the most practical and preferred
embodiments, it is to be understood that the invention need not to
be limited to the disclosed embodiment. On the contrary, it is
intended to cover various modifications and similar arrangements
included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims which
are to be accorded with the broadest interpretation so as to
encompass all such modifications and similar structures.
* * * * *