Abstract: Methods, apparatus and assemblies for enhancing heat transfer in electronic components using a flexible thermal pillow. The flexible thermal pillow has a thermally conductive material sealed between top and bottom conductive layers, with the bottom layer having a flexible reservoir residing on opposing sides of a central portion of the pillow that has a gap. The pillow may have roughened internal surfaces to increase an internal surface area within the pillow for enhanced heat dissipation. In an electronic assembly, the central portion of the pillow resides between a heat sink and heat-generating component for the thermal coupling there-between. During thermal cycling, the flexible reservoir of the pillow expands to retain thermally conductive material extruded from the gap, and then contracts to force such extruded material back into the gap. An external pressure source may contact the pillow for further forcing the extruded thermally conductive material back into the gap.

Abstract: A semiconductor package structure that includes placing self-adjusting stand-offs between the substrate and sealband of the cap, such that the gap between the cap and the chip can be controlled, thereby improving the thermal and fatigue performance of the overall package. The height of the stand-off is varied by controlling the application (i.e., the temperature and the timing) of the heat that is used by the soldering process normally used in the generation of solder joints. The control of the soldering procedure is calibrated to optimize the amount of the stand-off which is dissolved, melted and spalled until the optimum height of the stand-off is reached.