Electricity: electrical systems and devices – Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical... – For electronic systems and devices
Reexamination Certificate
1999-11-10
2001-07-03
Picard, Leo P. (Department: 2835)
Electricity: electrical systems and devices
Housing or mounting assemblies with diverse electrical...
For electronic systems and devices
C361S690000, C361S704000, C361S719000, C361S749000, C361S760000, C174S015100, C174S254000, C165S080200, C165S080300
Reexamination Certificate
active
06256203
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to multi-chip carriers and, more particularly, tQ carrier packages which provide for air flow in cooling electronic components.
2. Background Description
Chip carriers have been constructed with heat sinks to provide cooling for chips. However, the use of heat sinks takes up valuable space in a module package. In addition, chip and component carriers have been fabricated and packaged in a planar fashion which consumes valuable card or board surface area. The cooling of the components mounted on these carriers is limited to air flow across the horizontal plane on which the carrier is mounted. Vertical space is often reserved for some kind of heat fin or heat dissipating structure to radiate heat away from the components. Special off-substrate air directing channels or structures are often built within a computing machine to increase air flow efficiencies. This uses valuable space within the machine which could have been occupied by additional components, and results in lost opportunity in shrinking the overall size of the machine.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a multi-chip package in a three dimensional structure that makes efficient use of space.
It is further an object to provide an air cooling baffle using a formed circuit carrier in various configurations to allow chips to run faster by cooling them efficiently.
The invention is a circuit carrier which is formed into a shape which provides mounting surfaces for chips, in horizontal, vertical and intermediate directions. The circuit carrier forms various air directing baffles which channel cooling air over and around the chips. A free standing structure is created which, when assembled with the support caps or bars, forms a multi-chip module. This module can be tested in advance prior to mounting on a substrate, card or board. In the embodiment described with end-caps, air ports are designed into the end-caps which provide air inlet flow to the formed circuit carrier baffle. These end-caps can be circuitized and have contact pads which mate to pads on the circuit carrier. Various bonding schemes can be used such as soft gold, solder, or conducting adhesive to ensure good electrical contact is made. The circuitry on the end caps provides short communication paths within the module structure without having to make the signal pass through to the substrate and back again to another chip. The assembly sequence can be as follows: solder mount chips to circuitized carrier, form carrier into desired shape, and assemble end caps or spacer frames (support bars). The package is then tested as a unit and later mounted to the substrate/card.
The preferred embodiment of the circuit carrier is one made from a flexible material such as PTFE or polyimide which would facilitate forming the structures described herein. Although the discussion is primarily directed to a flexible circuit, semi-rigid or rigid material molded or formed into the desired shapes could also be used as cost and situation dictate for a given packaging solution.
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Ingraham Anthony P.
Kehley Glenn L.
Sathe Sanjeev B.
Slack John R.
Chervinsky Boris C.
International Business Machines - Corporation
McGuireWoods LLP
Picard Leo P.
Samadovitz Arthur J.
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