Compliant vapor chamber chip packaging

Abstract

An arrangement for improving the cooling efficiency of semiconductor chips. One embodiment is to construct a vapor chamber with one compliant surface for improving the efficiency of transferring heat from a semiconductor chip to the vapor chamber, and another embodiment is to construct a vapor chamber with the chip substrate such that the chips are embedded inside the vapor chamber. One surface of the vapor chamber has a flexible structure to enable the surface of the vapor chamber to be compliant with the surface of a chip or a heat sink device.

1 . An integrated vapor chamber and semiconductor chip package arrangement for the cooling of semiconductor chips, comprising:
 a housing forming said vapor chamber having a plurality of walls including at least one flat upper wall and depending side walls having resiliently flexible bellows wall portions facilitating reciprocatory displacement and tilting of said upper wall;   a vacuum-tightly arranged substrate forming a lower closure for said housing;   at least one semiconductor chip being supported on said substrate interiorly of said vapor chamber;   a wick arrangement lining the internal wall surfaces of said vapor chamber, and the surface of said at least one semiconductor chip opposite the surface thereof facing said substrate; and   a volatile liquid filling a portion of the volume of said vapor chamber, whereby heat generated by said semiconductor chip is transferred into said vapor chamber and conducted outwardly through the upper wall of said vapor chamber.   
     
     
         2 . An integrated arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein at least the upper wall of the housing forming said vapor chambers is constituted of a heat conducting material selected from the group of materials consisting of copper, aluminum and alloys thereof to facilitate conduction of heat therethrough to a heat sink. 
     
     
         3 . An integrated arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said wick arrangement includes overlapping portions extending about said side walls and comprises a liquid permeable material which is selected from the group of materials consisting of thin meshes, fibers foams and porous compositions. 
     
     
         4 . An integrated arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the chamber interior is evacuated and partially filled with said volatile liquid which is electrically-nonconductive and chemically compatible with the material of said housing and said at least one semiconductor chip. 
     
     
         5 . An integrated arrangement as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said volatile liquid is selected from the group of liquids consisting of water, ethanol or butane. 
     
     
         6 . An integrated arrangement as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of said vapor chambers each containing at least one said semiconductor chip are positioned on a common printed wiring board. 
     
     
         7 . A method of utilizing an integrated vapor chamber and semiconductor chip package arrangement for the cooling of semiconductor chips, said method comprising:
 providing a housing forming said vapor chamber having a plurality of walls including at least one flat upper wall and depending side walls having resiliently flexible bellows wall portions facilitating reciprocatory displacement and tilting of said upper wall;   arranging a vacuum-tightly arranged substrate to form a lower closure for said housing;   supporting at least one semiconductor chip on said substrate interiorly of said vapor chamber;   lining the internal wall surfaces of said vapor chamber and the surface of said at least one semiconductor chip opposite the surface thereof facing said substrate with a wick structure; and   filling a portion of the volume of said vapor chamber with a volatile liquid, whereby heat generated by said semiconductor chip is transferred into said vapor chamber and conducted outwardly through the upper wall of said vapor chamber.   
     
     
         8 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the chamber interior is evacuated and partially filled with said volatile liquid which is electrically-nonconductive and chemically compatible with the material of said housing and said at least one semiconductor chip. 
     
     
         9 . A method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a plurality of said vapor chambers each containing at least one said semiconductor chip are positioned on a common printed wiring board.