Use of thermally conductive vias to extract heat from microelectronic chips and method of manufacturing
View Patent ↗A cooling device for a microcircuit provides a direct path of thermal extraction from a high heat producing area to a cooler area. A thermal insulation layer is formed on a body having at least one component thereon that generates the high heat producing area. At least one via is formed through an entire thickness of the insulation layer and is in direct communication with the high heat producing area. Heat from the high heat producing area is channeled through each via to the cooler area, which may be ambient atmosphere or a good thermal conductor, such as a heat sink. A thermal conductive material may be deposited within the via and increase the rate of thermal extraction therethrough.
1. A cooling device for a microcircuit, comprising:
a substrate;
a thermal insulation layer formed on the substrate;
at least one microelectronic device disposed between the substrate and the thermal insulation layer, wherein the at least one microelectronic device has at least one high heat producing area; and
at least one via formed through an entire thickness of said thermal insulation layer and in direct communication with said at least one high heat producing area, wherein said at least one via provides a direct path of thermal extraction from said at least one high heat producing area to a cooler area,
wherein said thermal insulation layer has a thickness 1 μm or greater and said at least one via has a diameter in a range of 0.05 to 0.10 μm.
2. The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein said cooler area is an ambient atmosphere.
3. The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein a thermally conductive material is deposited within said at least one via.
4. The cooling device according to claim 3 , wherein said thermally conductive material is any one of diamond, graphite, copper, aluminum, gold, silver, silicon carbide (SiC), a superconducting polymer, and ceramic.
5. The cooling device according to claim 3 , wherein said thermally conductive material is deposited within said at least one via by any one of physical vapor deposition, chemical vapor deposition, electroplating, vacuum casting, and spin casting.
6. The cooling device according to claim 1 , further comprising a heat sink provided on a first side of said thermal insulation layer remote from said at least one high heat producing area.
7. The cooling device according to claim 6 , wherein said cooler area is said heat sink.
8. The cooling device according to claim 6 , wherein said heat sink is manufactured from a thermally conductive material.
9. The cooling device according to claim 8 , wherein said thermally conductive material is metal.
10. The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein when said thermal insulation layer has a thickness of 20 μm, said at least one via has a diameter in a range of 1.0 to 2.0 μm.
11. The cooling device according to claim 1 , wherein said at least one via is formed by one of dry etching, wet etching, micromachining, using liftoff techniques for layer patterning, LIGA, and high pressure reflow/deformation.