Disk drive base having a raised thermal pedestal
View Patent ↗A disk drive includes a printed circuit board, an integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board, and a disk drive base coupled to the printed circuit board. The disk drive base includes a platform, the platform having a first surface elevated towards the printed circuit board and a second surface further elevated towards the printed circuit board relative to the first surface, the platform being generally aligned with the integrated circuit along an axis normal to the first surface.
1. A disk drive comprising:
a printed circuit board;
an integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board;
a disk drive base coupled to the printed circuit board; and
a platform, the platform including:
a platform base positioned on the disk drive base;
a first surface substantially parallel to the platform base and elevated from the platform base towards the printed circuit board; and
a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface and elevated from the first surface towards the printed circuit board;
wherein the platform is generally aligned with the integrated circuit along an axis normal to the first surface; and
wherein the disk drive further comprises:
a layer of material interposed between the printed circuit board and the platform such that the layer of material covers at least a portion of the first surface and at least a portion of the second surface.
2. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material is compressible.
3. The disk drive of claim 2 , wherein the layer of material is compressed between the second surface of the platform and the integrated circuit.
4. The disk drive of claim 3 , wherein the layer of material is compressed to a first thickness at a first location between the second surface of the platform and the integrated circuit, and the layer of material is compressed to a second thickness at a second location between the first surface of the platform and the integrated circuit, a ratio of the first thickness to the second thickness being less than or equal to 80%.
5. The disk drive of claim 2 , wherein the layer of material comprises an acoustic gasket material.
6. The disk drive of claim 2 , wherein a height of the second surface above the first surface of the platform is between 1% and 25% of a thickness of the layer of material in an uncompressed state.
7. The disk drive of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first conductive path between the integrated circuit and the second surface of the platform through the layer of material; and
a second conductive path between the integrated circuit and the first surface of the platform through the layer of material, wherein a ratio of a heat transfer coefficient of the first conductive path to a heat transfer coefficient of the second conductive path is greater than or equal to 150%.
8. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material covers substantially an entire surface area of the printed circuit board.
9. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the layer of material covers substantially an entire surface area of the second surface of the platform.
10. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the first surface of the platform has a shape generally corresponding to a shape of the integrated circuit facing the first surface of the platform.
11. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the second surface of the platform is generally aligned, along an axis normal to the second surface, with a portion of the integrated circuit that has a high operational temperature relative to other portions of the integrated circuit.
12. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the disk drive base comprises aluminum.
13. The disk drive of claim 1 , wherein the platform and the disk drive base are monolithic.
14. A method of manufacturing a disk drive comprising:
providing a printed circuit board having an integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board;
providing a disk drive base having a platform, the platform including:
a platform base positioned on the disk drive base;
a first surface substantially parallel to the platform base and elevated from the platform base; and
a second surface substantially parallel to the first surface and elevated from the first surface; and
interposing a layer of material between the printed circuit board and the platform such that the layer of material covers at least a portion of the first surface and at least a portion of the second surface;
wherein the method further comprises coupling the disk drive base to the printed circuit board such that the platform is generally aligned with the integrated circuit along an axis normal to the first surface and the first surface and the second surface are elevated towards the printed circuit board.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein interposing the layer of material further comprises compressing the layer of material between the printed circuit board and the platform.
16. The method of claim 14 , further comprising:
identifying a portion of the integrated circuit that has a high operational temperature relative to other portions of the integrated circuit; and
wherein coupling the disk drive base to the printed circuit board includes coupling the disk drive base to the printed circuit board such that the second surface of the platform is generally aligned with the identified portion of the integrated circuit along an axis normal to the second surface.