Electroformed microchannel cooler and methods of making same
An electroformed microchannel cooler for liquid cooling has an upper component and a lower component. Each component includes a sheet, a plurality of electroformed partition walls and a boundary wall electroformed outwardly of the plurality of partition walls. The partition and boundary walls of the upper component are attached to the boundary and partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship. One of the components has gates at each end opening into plenums inside the boundary walls. An alternate embodiment has a corrugated electroformed member attached to upper an lower sheets forming a plurality of parallel microchannels. Methods of making the electroformed microchannel coolers are also disclosed.
This invention relates to coolers and methods of making coolers.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe trend in integrated circuit (IC) design, particularly in central processing units (CPUs), is increased speed and circuit density. Increased speed and circuit density causes the IC or CPU to generate more heat. This raises a need for cooling because without sufficient cooling, the IC or CPU may run slower and degrade leading to a shortened life span. Moreover, such ICs and CPUs are being used in electronic devices, such as servers and portable computers, having housings that are getting smaller and smaller which exacerbates the cooling need.
It is already known to use water or liquid cooling systems in such situations. See for instance, U.S. Pat. No. 6,674,642 B1 granted to Richard C. Chu et al. Jan. 6, 2004, disclosing a cooling system in which a heat generating electronic component 16 is cooled by a low profile cold plate 20. The cold plate 20, in turn transfers heat to liquid coolant flowing through tube 24 which is part of a heat exchange assembly 30.
See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,343 B2 granted to Shlomo Novotny et al. Jul. 1, 2003, disclosing a cooling system in
See also U.S. Pat. No. 6,337,794 B1 granted to Dereje Agonafer et al. Jan. 8, 2002, disclosing in
This invention provides a heat sink or cooler that is very compact and efficient. The cooler is characterized by a plurality of microchannels that are electroformed.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Referring now to
The electroformed micro-channel cooler 12 is a two-piece structure comprising a gated component 24 and a non-gated component 26. Gated component 24 comprises a thin sheet 28 which serves as a base, a generally rectangular boundary wall 30, and a plurality of partition walls 32 forming micro-channels 34 as best seen in
Non-gated component 26 is substantially identical to gated component 24, the significant exception being that the base sheet 28 does not have the series of gates 40 and 42 as best shown in
Referring now to
The non-gated component 26 is then turned upside down and placed on the gated component 24 with the layers 44 of solder on the respective tops of the boundary walls and the partition walls engaging each other as shown in
The gated and non-gated components 24 and 26 can be made singly or in gangs. When the components 24 and 26 are made in gangs, the components 24 and 26 can be assembled as explained below.
Referring now to
On the other hand if multi-layer electroformed multichannel coolers, such as the cooler 112 shown in
Plenums are formed at the opposite longitudinal ends of channels 220 and 222 and either sheet 216 or 218 is punched to provide gates opening into the plenums.
Gated component 314 is made in the same way as gated component 24 by electroplating boundary and partition walls 318 and 320 in the voids of a photoresist pattern on the top of sheet 316 and then applying a solder or other adhesive to the tops of the walls. The photoresist is then stripped away. Gates 328 and 330 are punched through sheet 316 before or after the photoresist is stripped away.
A non-gated component (not shown) is made in the same way except that gates are not punched through base sheet 316. The non-gated component is turned upside down and attached to gated component 314 by reflowing the solder or activating the adhesive to provide the micro-channel cooler 312. Cooler 312 can be made with just two components as in the case of cooler 12 or with several components as in the case of cooler 112.
Many embodiments and adaptations of the present invention other than those described above, as well as many variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggested by the present invention and the foregoing description, without departing from the substance or scope of the present invention. Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein in detail in relation to preferred embodiments, it is to be understood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary of the present invention and is made merely for purposes of providing a full and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosure is not intended or to be construed to limit the present invention or otherwise to exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations, modifications and equivalent arrangements, the present invention being limited only by the following claims and the equivalents thereof.
Claims
1. An electroformed microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising:
- an upper sheet a lower sheet and a plurality of electroformed partition walls disposed between the upper sheet and the lower sheet to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler.
2. An electroformed microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising:
- an upper component and a lower component,
- each component comprising a sheet and a plurality of electroformed partition walls,
- the partition walls of the upper part engaging the partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship.
3. The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in claim 2 wherein the partition walls of each component have ends engaging the ends of the other component.
4. The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in claim 3 wherein the ends of the partition walls of one component are soldered to the partition walls of the other component.
5. The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in claim 3 wherein each component has a boundary wall outwardly of the plurality of partition walls forming plenums at each end of the cooler and wherein one of the components has gates at each and opening into the plenums.
6. The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in claim 5 wherein the components are made of copper.
7. The electroformed microchannel cooler as defined in claim 6 wherein the sheets have a thickness of about 0.002 inches, the boundary and partition walls have a thickness of about 0.004 inches, and the microchannels are about 0.008 inches wide and 0.008 inches tall.
8. (canceled)
9. (canceled)
10. (canceled)
11. (canceled)
12. (canceled)
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. (canceled)
16. A microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising:
- an upper component and a lower component,
- each component comprising a sheet and a plurality of partition walls,
- the partition walls of the upper part engaging the partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship,
- the plurality of partition walls of each component having ends engaging the ends of the plurality of partition walls of the other component.
17. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 16 wherein the ends of the partition walls of one component are attached to the ends of the partition walls of the other component.
18. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 16 wherein the ends of the partition walls of one component are soldered to the ends of the partition walls of the other component.
19. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 16 wherein each component has a boundary wall outwardly of the plurality of partition walls forming plenums at each end of the cooler and wherein one of the components has gates at each end opening into the plenums.
20. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 19 wherein the components are made of copper.
21. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 19 wherein the sheets have a thickness of about 0.002 inches, the boundary and partition walls have a thickness of about 0.004 inches, and the microchannels are about 0.008 inches wide and 0.008 inches tall.
22. A microchannel cooler for liquid cooling comprising:
- an upper component and a lower component,
- each component comprising a sheet and a plurality of partition walls,
- the partition walls of the upper part engaging the partition walls of the lower part to provide a plurality of microchannels for flowing liquid through the cooler in a heat exchange relationship,
- the plurality of partition walls of each component having ends attached to the ends of the plurality of partition walls of the other component,
- each component having a boundary wall outwardly of the plurality of partition walls forming plenums at each end of the cooler, and
- one of the components having gates at each end opening into the plenums.
23. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 22 wherein the components are made of copper.
24. The microchannel cooler as defined in claim 22 wherein the sheets have a thickness of about 0.002 inches, the boundary and partition walls have a thickness of about 0.004 inches, and the microchannels are about 0.008 inches wide and 0.008 inches tall.
Type: Application
Filed: May 26, 2004
Publication Date: Dec 1, 2005
Inventor: William Crumly (Anaheim, CA)
Application Number: 10/854,547