Confinement and protection of a thermal interface material between a heat sink and an electronic device
Disclosed is an electronic assembly that includes a heat sink with a groove that is cut on a surface of the heat sink. A thermal interface material is disposed between the heat sink and an electronic device. A compressible filler disposed in the groove surrounds and confines the thermal interface material.
1 . An electronic assembly comprising:
a heat sink, the heat sink having a first groove that is cut on a surface of the heat sink;
an electronic device;
a thermal interface material that is disposed between the heat sink and the electronic device, the thermal interface material is attached to the surface of the heat sink and to a surface of the electronic device; and
a compressible filler disposed in the first groove, the compressible filler completely surrounds the thermal interface material and confines the thermal interface material within a perimeter of the compressible filler,
wherein the heatsink has a second groove that is cut on the surface of the heat sink directly adjacent to and within a perimeter of the first groove, the second groove is shallower than the first groove and contains a spillover portion of the thermal interface material that directly contacts the compressible filler.
2 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heatsink further comprises:
a second groove that is cut on the surface of the heat sink,
wherein the second groove is within a perimeter of the first groove and contains a spillover portion of the thermal interface material.
3 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the compressible filler contacts the surface of the electronic device.
4 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , further comprising:
a substrate,
wherein the electronic device is mounted on a surface of the substrate.
5 . The electronic assembly of claim 4 , wherein the compressible filler contacts the surface of the substrate.
6 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the compressible filler is disposed outside a perimeter of the electronic device.
7 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronic assembly is immersed in a coolant of an immersion cooling system.
8 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the electronic device is a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
9 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the compressible filler is held in the first groove without an adhesive.
10 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the compressible filler is held in the first groove by interference fit.
11 . The electronic assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermal interface material comprises thermal grease or liquid metal.
12 . An electronic assembly comprising:
a heat sink having a continuous groove that is cut on a bottom surface of the heat sink;
an electronic device;
a thermal interface material that is disposed between the heat sink and the electronic device, wherein the thermal interface material directly contacts the bottom surface of the heatsink and directly contacts a top surface of the electronic device; and
a compressible filler that is disposed in the continuous groove without an adhesive and completely surrounds the thermal interface material,
wherein the heatsink has a spillover groove that is cut on the bottom surface of the heat sink directly adjacent to and within a perimeter of the continuous groove, the spillover groove is shallower than the continuous groove and contains a spillover portion of the thermal interface material that directly contacts the compressible filler.
13 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a spillover groove that is cut on the bottom surface of the heat sink, wherein the spillover groove contains a spillover portion of the thermal interface material.
14 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , wherein the continuous groove extends outside a perimeter of the electronic device.
15 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , wherein the compressible filler directly contacts the top surface of the electronic device.
16 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , further comprising:
a printed circuit board (PCB), wherein the electronic device is mounted on a surface of the PCB.
17 . The electronic assembly of claim 16 , wherein the compressible filler directly contacts the surface of the PCB.
18 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , wherein the compressible filler is held in the continuous groove by interference fit.
19 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , wherein the thermal interface material comprises liquid metal or thermal grease.
20 . The electronic assembly of claim 12 , wherein the compressible filler comprises rubber.