Abstract: A heat sink in a heat transfer relationship with a substrate such as an integrated chip, chip carrier, or other electronic package. The heat sink is connected to a frame which is connected to a printed circuit board or other suitable support on which the substrate is positioned. The heat sink, which extends through an aperture in the frame is coupled to a surface of the substrate. The heat sink is mechanically decoupled from the substrate. Large heat sinks may be thermally connected to surface mount substrates mounted using technologies such as ceramic ball or column grid arrays, plastic ball or column grid arrays, or solder balls or columns. The heat sink is attached coaxially through the aperture to the substrate. After assembly and lead/tin or other metallic surface mount interconnects are relaxed such that the substrate and is completely supported by the frame and the heat sink imparts zero or nearly zero downward force.

Abstract: A heat sink is placed in a heat transfer relationship with a substrate such as an integrated chip, chip carrier, or other electronic package, without imparting stressful forces to the substrate by connecting the heat sink to a frame which is connected to a support such as a printed circuit board or other suitable carrier on which the substrate is positioned. The heat sink extends through an aperture in the frame and is in heat transfer relationship with a surface of the substrate; however, it is mechanically decoupled from the substrate. The invention has particular application in thermally connecting large heat sinks to substrates that are surface mounted on the support using technologies such as ceramic ball or column grid arrays, plastic ball or column grid arrays, or solder balls or columns.