Microchannel heat sink manufactured from graphite materials

1 . An apparatus for cooling an electronic device, comprising:

a heat sink member having at least a first thermal contact surface for making thermal contact with said electronic device;

said member being constructed of at least a first sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite, said sheet having two major surfaces; and

at least one of said major surfaces having a first plurality of microchannels formed therein for carrying coolant fluid, said microchannels each having a length parallel to said one of said major surfaces and having a cross-section normal to said length, said cross-section having at least one dimension below about 1,000 microns.

2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said member includes a second sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite, said first and second sheets being joined together to define said cross-section of said microchannels.

3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said second sheet is a flat sheet without microchannels and defines a cap on the microchannels of the first sheet.

4 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein said second sheet has a plurality of microchannels defined therein in a pattern complementary to and superimposed upon the microchannels of the first sheet.

5 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

said first thermal contact surface is defined on the major surface of said first sheet opposite said microchannels; and

said second sheet has a second thermal contact surface for making thermal contact with a second electronic device, so that said heat sink member may be interposed between two stacked electronic devices.

6 . The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein:

said member includes a third sheet of compressed particles of exfoliated graphite, said third sheet being joined to one of said first and second sheets; and

said third sheet and said one of said first and second sheets having a second plurality of microchannels defined therebetween and isolated from said first plurality of microchannels, so that said first and second pluralities of microchannels may carry coolant fluid in opposite directions.

7 . The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein:

said member includes a second thermal contact surface on a side thereof opposite said first thermal contact surface.

8 . The apparatus of claim 7 , in combination with first and second stacked electronic devices, said first and second electronic devices being mounted on said first and second thermal contact surfaces, respectively.

9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said at least one dimension of said cross-section is at least about 100 microns.

10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said first sheet has a density in the range of from about 1.0 g/cc to about 2.0 g/cc.

11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said first sheet has a thickness in a range of from about 0.4 mm to about 3.75 mm.

12 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

said first sheet has a thickness of no greater than about 2.0 mm.

13 . The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein:

said first sheet has a thickness of no greater than about 1.0 mm.

14 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:

said first sheet is resin impregnated and has a resin content of at least about 5% by weight.

15 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a thermal interface formed from a sheet of anisotropic flexible graphite material attached to said heat sink member and defining said first thermal contact surface.

16 . The apparatus of claim 1 , in combination with said electronic device, said electronic device being mounted on said first thermal contact surface.

17 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said microchannels are formed in said first sheet by roller embossing.

18 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein said at least one dimension below about 1,000 microns includes a width of said cross section.

19 . A liquid cooled electronic apparatus, comprising:

first and second stacked electronic devices operable under conditions of high heat flux density;

a heat sink member interposed between, and in thermal contact with each of said first and second stacked electronic devices; and

said member being constructed of at least two sheets of flexible graphite material having major surfaces thereof joined together, at least one of said sheets having a plurality of microchannels formed therein for carrying coolant liquid.

20 . A method of manufacturing a microchannel heat sink from graphite materials, comprising:

(a) providing first and second sheets of flexible graphite material, each sheet having two major surfaces;

(b) forming a plurality of microchannels in at least one of said major surfaces of said first sheet;

(c) superimposing said second sheet upon said first sheet and joining adjacent major surfaces of said first and second sheets together to close a cross-section of said microchannels; and

(d) providing a thermal contact surface on an exposed major surface of one of said first and second sheets for mounting of an electronic device.