Enhanced thermal transfer in a semiconductor structure

1. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device having enhanced thermal transfer, the method comprising:

providing at least one die including a device layer formed on a front side of a semiconductor substrate, the device layer including one or more functional circuit elements formed therein;

attaching the die to a support structure such that the front side of the die is disposed on at least a portion of the support structure; and

texturing a back side of the substrate so as to increase a surface area of the back side of the substrate thereby enhancing thermal transfer between the substrate and an external environment;

wherein texturing the back side of the substrate comprises forming a plurality of trenches in the back side of the substrate, a portion of the substrate remaining between adjacent trenches forming periodic fingered structures, a surface area of the back side of the substrate being controlled as a function of an aspect ratio of the fingered structures.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the die is attached to the support structure using at least one connection structure coupled between the device layer and the support structure.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein texturing the back side of the substrate comprises at least one of forming periodic structures in or on the back side of the substrate and forming non-periodic structures in or on the back side of the substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising micro-texturing at least one of sidewalls and a bottom of each of at least a subset of the trenches for increasing a surface emissivity of the semiconductor device.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of pyramid structures on at least one of sidewalls and a bottom of each of at least a subset of the trenches, the pyramid structures increasing a surface emissivity of the semiconductor device.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising forming at least a subset of the pyramid structures of a material different than the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming a plurality of periodic pyramid structures on the back side of the substrate and protruding vertically therefrom, a surface area of the back side of the substrate being controlled as a function of an aspect ratio of the pyramid structures.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising forming at least opening in the support structure, the opening providing an air path through the support structure for increasing natural convection cooling in the semiconductor device.

9. A method for fabricating a semiconductor device having enhanced thermal transfer, the method comprising:

providing at least one die including a device layer formed on a front side of a semiconductor substrate, the device layer including one or more functional circuit elements formed therein;

attaching the die to a support structure such that the front side of the die is disposed on at least a portion of the support structure;

texturing a back side of the substrate so as to increase a surface area of the back side of the substrate thereby enhancing thermal transfer between the substrate and an external environment;

depositing a thermal interface material on at least a portion of the back side of the substrate; and

attaching a thermal distribution structure to at least a portion of an upper surface of the thermal interface material.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the thermal interface material comprises a phase change material.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein texturing comprises forming a plurality of microstructures on the back side of the substrate, the microstructures being configured as reservoirs for confining the phase change material therein when the phase change material is in a liquid phase.