Thermal interface for riding heatsink
A pluggable optical module may include a substrate. The pluggable optical module may include a compressible sliding thermal interface disposed on the substrate to contact a riding heatsink. The compressible sliding thermal interface material may be compressed to fill interstices between a first surface of the substrate and a second surface of the riding heatsink. The compressible sliding thermal interface may protrude from the first surface of the substrate such that insertion of the pluggable optical module into a cage compresses the compressible sliding thermal interface to achieve a threshold thermal boundary resistance.
1. An optical device that is configured to be slidably engaged with a heatsink, the optical device comprising:
a substrate; and
a sliding thermal interface disposed on the substrate,
wherein the sliding thermal interface includes a flexible interface structure that encloses an interface filling material, and
wherein the sliding thermal interface is configured to be compressed with a threshold clamping force when the optical device slidably engages the heatsink.
2. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate includes a depression, and the sliding thermal interface is disposed in the depression.
3. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the flexible interface structure is a metal enclosure, and the interface filling material is a conductive fluid.
4. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate is a surface of one of:
a wavelength selective switch,
an amplifier,
a transmitter,
a receiver, or
a digital signal processor.
5. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the sliding thermal interface is configured to fill interstices between the substrate and the heatsink when the optical device slidably engages the heatsink.
6. The optical device of claim 1 , wherein the sliding thermal interface is associated with a thermal conductivity of greater than 1000 Watts per meter Celsius (W/mC).
7. An optical module configured to removably engage another component, the optical module comprising:
a substrate,
a thermal interface disposed on the substrate,
wherein the thermal interface includes an outer interface structure that encloses a filling material, and
wherein, when the optical module removably engages the other component, the thermal interface is configured to fill interstices between the substrate and the component to achieve a threshold thermal boundary resistance between the optical module and the other component.
8. The optical module of claim 7 , wherein the substrate includes a depression, and the thermal interface is disposed in the depression.
9. The optical module of claim 7 , wherein the thermal interface is configured to be compressed by a threshold clamping force when the optical module is removably engaged with the other component.
10. The optical module of claim 7 , wherein the filling material is a carbon fiber material or a carbon nano-tube material.
11. The optical module of claim 7 , wherein threshold thermal boundary resistance is between approximately 0.36 square inches Kelvin per Watt (in 2 K/W) to approximately 1.5 in 2 K/W.
12. An electro-optic transceiver, comprising:
a substrate that is configured to be removably inserted into a cage; and
a thermal interface disposed on an upper surface of the substrate,
wherein the thermal interface includes an outer structure that encloses a filling material, and
wherein the thermal interface is configured to fill interstices within the cage when the substrate is removably inserted into the cage.
13. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein the thermal interface is disposed over a portion of the substrate that is to align to a riding heatsink when the substrate is removably inserted into the cage.
14. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 13 , wherein the riding heatsink forms a section of the cage.
15. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein the substrate includes a depression of a depth of between approximately 100 micrometers and 2000 micrometers, and the thermal interface is disposed in the depression.
16. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein a height of the thermal interface above the upper surface of the substrate is greater than 0 micrometers and less than approximately 2000 micrometers.
17. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein a height of the thermal interface above the upper surface of the substrate is less than 100 micrometers.
18. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein a width of the thermal interface is between approximately 5 millimeters (mm) and 50 mm.
19. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein the outer structure is metal.
20. The electro-optic transceiver of claim 12 , wherein the filling material is a conductive fluid.