IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,733,106
Granted Patent B2
US 12,733,106 · App. 18/171,083 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

System for attaching a thermal interface material to a heat sink

Inventors: Enoch Chen (Taipei City, TW); Ping-Sheng Kao (Hsinchu City, TW); Ryan Lee (Taipei City, TW); Travis C. North (Cedar Park, TX)
Assignee: Dell Products L.P.
H05K3/0011H05K1/0204H05K1/181H05K7/20454G06F1/20H10W40/70
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,733,106
App. No.
18/171,083
Filed
Feb 17, 2023
Granted
Sep 8, 2026
Kind
B2
Art Unit
3729
USPC
29/830
Abstract

A system for attaching a thermal interface material (TIM) to a heat sink positioned on a base layer, the heat sink having a heat sink length and a heat sink width, the system including a plurality of treated sections of the base layer around at least a portion of a perimeter of the heat sink, wherein each treated section of the plurality of treated sections comprises a width, and wherein one or more of the width and the surface roughness of each treated section of the plurality of treated sections is based on the TIM, and wherein the plurality of treated sections form a continuous roughness edge, wherein a portion of the TIM extends onto the roughness edge around the heat sink.

Claims (13)

1 . A system for attaching a thermal interface material (TIM) to a heat sink positioned on a base layer, the heat sink having a heat sink length and a heat sink width, the system comprising:

a plurality of treated sections of the base layer around a perimeter of the heat sink, wherein each treated section of the plurality of treated sections comprises a width, and wherein one or more of the width and a surface roughness of each treated section of the plurality of treated sections is based on the TIM, and wherein the plurality of treated sections form a continuous roughness edge, wherein a portion of the TIM extends onto the roughness edge around the heat sink,

wherein the heat sink extends along a first direction defining a width of the heat sink and a second direction defining a height of the heat sink, the first direction transverse to the second direction along the perimeter,

wherein an entirety of each section of the plurality of treated sections extends at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the first direction and the second direction along the perimeter.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the width of each treated section of the plurality of treated sections is between 1 millimeter and 3 millimeters.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the width and the surface roughness of each treated section of the plurality of treated sections is based on a structural property of the TIM.

4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the surface roughness is between 0.01 millimeters and 0.1 millimeters.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more of the width and the surface roughness of each treated section of the plurality of treated sections is based on an adhesive layer of the TIM.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the TIM comprises one of a pad, a thermal putty or a tape.

7 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a film of a second material adjacent to a portion of a treated section of the plurality of treated sections, wherein the second material has a low adhesion property.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the second material comprises biaxially-oriented polyethylene terephthalate.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a hole formed through the base layer proximate at least one treated section of the plurality of treated sections.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one treated section of the plurality of treated sections of the base layer around the perimeter of the heat sink comprises a plurality of strips, wherein a surface roughness of each treated strip is different from a surface roughness of an adjacent treated strip.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 17, 2023
From: CHEN, ENOCH; KAO, PING-SHENG; LEE, RYAN; NORTH, TRAVIS C.
To: DELL PRODUCTS L.P.
Reel/Frame 062736/0110 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240284587A1 · Aug 22, 2024
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