Stack up assembly
View Patent ↗A first printed circuit board is built including one or more openings configured to correspond to heat-generating devices attached to a second printed circuit board. The first and second printed circuit boards are aligned with each other and a heat sink, such that the heat sink is thermally coupled with heat-generating electronic devices on both the first and second printed circuit boards. Heat-generating devices are thermally coupled with a thermal pad on one or more of the printed circuit boards. The thermal pad is then thermally coupled with the heat sink. Optionally, the first and second printed circuit boards may be electrically coupled with each other through an electrical connector.
1. An assembly, comprising:
a first printed circuit board having a first opening, and including a first heat-generating device;
a thermal pad on a surface of said first printed circuit board, thermally coupled with said first heat generating device;
a second printed circuit board mechanically coupled to said first printed circuit board;
a second heat-generating device;
a first interposer configured to mechanically and electrically couple said second heat-generating device to said second printed circuit board, wherein said first interposer is substantially aligned with said first opening in said first printed circuit board; and
a heat sink mechanically coupled with said first and second printed circuit boards, wherein said heat sink is thermally coupled with said second heat-generating device, and said thermal pad.
2. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first interposer is of sufficient height such that said second heat-generating device extends through said first opening in said first printed circuit board, and an upper surface of said second heat-generating device is substantially coplanar with an upper surface of said first heat-generating device on said first printed circuit board.
3. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first heat-generating device is an ASIC.
4. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first heat-generating device is a microprocessor.
5. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first heat-generating device is a FET.
6. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second heat-generating device is an ASIC.
7. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second heat-generating device is a microprocessor.
8. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second heat-generating device is a FET.
9. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first printed circuit board including a first heat-generating device is a power module.
10. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second printed circuit board including a second heat-generating device is a power module.
11. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said first printed circuit board is a voltage regulation module (VRM) circuit board.
12. The assembly of claim 1 , wherein said second printed circuit board is a voltage regulation module (VRM) circuit board.
13. The assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
an electrical connector configured to electrically couple said first printed circuit board to said second printed circuit board.
14. A method for the construction of an assembly, comprising the steps of:
a) providing a first printed circuit board including a first heat-generating device and having a first opening;
b) providing a second printed circuit board;
c) creating a thermal pad on a surface of the first printed circuit board;
d) mechanically and electrically coupling a second heat-generating device to the second printed circuit board;
e) thermally coupling the first heat-generating device to the thermal pad;
f) providing a heat sink having a first protrusion configured to extend through the first opening in the first printed circuit board and make thermal contact with the second heat-generating device on the second printed circuit board;
g) mechanically coupling the first printed circuit board with the second printed circuit board such that the second heat-generating device on the second printed circuit board is substantially aligned under the first opening in the first printed circuit board; and
h) mechanically coupling the heat sink to the first and second printed circuit boards such that the first protrusion of the heat sink extends through the first opening in the first printed circuit board and makes thermal contact with the second heat-generating device on the second printed circuit board, and the heat sink makes thermal contact with the thermal pad on the first printed circuit board.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first heat-generating device is an ASIC.
16. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first heat-generating device is a microprocessor.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first heat-generating device is a FET.
18. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second heat-generating device is an ASIC.
19. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second heat-generating device is a microprocessor.
20. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second heat-generating device is a FET.
21. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first printed circuit board including a first heat-generating device is a power module.
22. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second printed circuit board including a second heat-generating device is a power module.
23. The method of claim 14 , wherein the first printed circuit board is a voltage regulation module (VRM) circuit board.
24. The method of claim 14 , wherein the second printed circuit board is a voltage regulation module (VRM) circuit board.
25. The method of claim 14 , further comprising the step of:
i) electrically coupling the first printed circuit board to the second printed circuit board through an electrical connector.