Silicon-Based Cooling Package with Diamond Coating for Heat-Generating Devices

Abstract

Various embodiments of a thermal energy transfer apparatus that removes thermal energy from a heat-generating device are described. In one aspect, a thermal energy transfer apparatus comprises a silicon-based manifold having an internal cavity, a first primary side, and a second primary side opposite the first primary side. The second primary side of the manifold has at least one coolant inlet port and at least one coolant outlet port that are connected to the internal cavity of the manifold, the at least one coolant inlet port being at a position directly opposite a position on the diamond layer where the heat-generating device is received. A diamond layer covers at least a portion of the first primary side of the manifold such that the heat-generating device is in direct contact with the diamond layer when the heat-generating device is received on the first primary side of the manifold.

1 . A thermal energy transfer apparatus that removes thermal energy from a heat-generating device, the apparatus comprising:
 a silicon-based manifold having an internal cavity, a first primary side, and a second primary side opposite the first primary side, the second primary side having at least one coolant inlet port and at least one coolant outlet port that are connected to the internal cavity of the manifold, the at least one coolant inlet port being at a position directly opposite a position on the diamond layer where the heat-generating device is received; and   a diamond layer covering at least a portion of the first primary side of the manifold such that the heat-generating device is in direct contact with the diamond layer when the heat-generating device is received on the first primary side of the manifold.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon-based manifold comprises:
 a silicon-based first plate, the first plate having a first primary side and a second primary side opposite the first primary side, the first primary side of the first plate being the first primary side of the manifold, the second primary side of the first plate having a recess, the first plate having an opening connecting the first primary side and the recess on the second primary side of the first plate such that a coolant flowing in the internal cavity of the manifold directly contacts the diamond layer; and   a silicon-based second plate, the second plate having a first primary side as the second primary side of the manifold and a second primary side opposite the first primary side, the first primary side having the at least one coolant inlet port and the at least one coolant outlet port, the second primary side having a recess such that the opening in the first plate and the recess on the second primary side of the second plate form the internal cavity of the manifold when the first plate and the second plate are mated together with the second primary side of the first plate facing the second primary side of the second plate.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein at least the first primary side of the silicon-based first plate has a surface roughness of a root mean squared (RMS) value of 2 microns or less. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon-based manifold comprises:
 a silicon-based first plate, the first plate having a first primary side and a second primary side opposite the first primary side, the first primary side of the first plate being the first primary side of the manifold on which the diamond layer is deposited, the second primary side of the first plate having a recess; and   a silicon-based second plate, the second plate having a first primary side as the second primary side of the manifold and a second primary side opposite the first primary side, the first primary side of the second plate having the at least one coolant inlet port and the at least one coolant outlet port, the second primary side of the second plate having a recess such that the recess on the second primary side of the first plate and the recess on the second primary side of the second plate form the internal cavity of the manifold when the first plate and the second plate are mated together with the second primary side of the first plate facing the second primary side of the second plate.   
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein at least the first primary side of the silicon-based first plate has a surface roughness of a root mean squared (RMS) value of 2 microns or less. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond layer has a thickness in a range between 10 μm and 500 μm. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the diamond layer covers a substantial portion of the first primary side of the manifold. 
     
     
         8 . A thermal energy transfer apparatus that removes thermal energy from a heat-generating device, the apparatus comprising:
 a silicon-based base plate having a first primary side, a second primary side opposite the first primary side, a first groove on the first primary side, and a second groove on the first primary side parallel to the first groove; and   a silicon-based first fin structure and a silicon-based second fin structure, each of the first and second fin structures respectively having a first primary side and a second primary side opposite the first primary side, each of the first and second fin structures respectively further having, between the first primary side and the second primary side, a top edge, a bottom edge opposite the top edge, a front edge, and a back edge opposite the front edge,   the first primary side, the top edge, the second primary side, and the bottom edge of the first fin structure having a contiguous layer of diamond thereon,   the first primary side, the top edge, the second primary side, and the bottom edge of the second fin structure having a contiguous layer of diamond thereon,   the bottom edge of the first fin structure being received in the first groove, the bottom edge of the second fin structure being received in the second groove,   the first groove and the second groove being distanced from each other such that when the heat-generating device is received between the first fin structure and the second fin structure the heat-generating device is in direct contact with the layer of diamond on the first fin structure and with the layer of diamond on the second fin structure.   
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the bottom edge of at least one of the first fin structure and the second fin structure is V-shaped, and wherein at least one of the first groove and the second groove is a V-shaped groove. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein at least one of the first and second fin structures comprises at least one coolant inlet port on one of the respective edges, at least one coolant outlet port on one of the respective edges, and a coolant flow channel therein that connects the at least one coolant inlet port and the at least one coolant outlet port to allow a coolant to flow through the respective fin structure. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the first and second fin structures comprises:
 a silicon-based first half-fin structure, the first half-fin structure having a first primary side as the first primary side of the respective fin structure, a second primary side opposite the first primary side, a top edge as half of the top edge of the respective fin structure, a bottom edge as half of the bottom edge of the respective fin structure, a front edge as half of the front edge of the respective fin structure, and a back edge as half of the back edge of the respective fin structure, the second primary side of the first half-fin structure having a recess, the first primary side of the first half-fin structure having an opening connecting the first primary side of the first half-fin structure and the recess on the second primary side of the first half-fin structure such that the coolant flowing in the coolant flow channel of the respective fin structure is in direct contact with the layer of diamond; and   a silicon-based second half-fin structure, the second half-fin structure having a first primary side as the second primary side of the respective fin structure, a second primary side opposite the first primary side, a top edge as half of the top edge of the respective fin structure, a bottom edge as half of the bottom edge of the respective fin structure, a front edge as half of the front edge of the respective fin structure, and a back edge as half of the back edge of the respective fin structure, the second primary side of the second half-fin structure having a recess, the first primary side of the second half-fin structure having an opening connecting the first primary side of the second half-fin structure and the recess on the second primary side of the second half-fin structure such that the coolant flowing in the coolant flow channel of the respective fin structure is in direct contact with the layer of diamond.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein at least the first primary side of the silicon-based first half-fin structure has a surface roughness of a root mean squared (RMS) value of 2 microns or less. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one of the first and second fin structures comprises:
 a silicon-based first half-fin structure, the first half-fin structure having a first primary side as the first primary side of the respective fin structure, a second primary side opposite the first primary side, a top edge as half of the top edge of the respective fin structure, a bottom edge as half of the bottom edge of the respective fin structure, a front edge as half of the front edge of the respective fin structure, and a back edge as half of the back edge of the respective fin structure, the second primary side of the first half-fin structure having a recess; and   a silicon-based second half-fin structure, the second half-fin structure having a first primary side as the first primary side of the respective fin structure, a second primary side opposite the first primary side, a top edge as half of the top edge of the respective fin structure, a bottom edge as half of the bottom edge of the respective fin structure, a front edge as half of the front edge of the respective fin structure, and a back edge as half of the back edge of the respective fin structure, the second primary side of the second half-fin structure having a recess such that the coolant flow channel of the respective fin structure is formed when the first half-fin structure and the second half-fin structure are mated together with the second primary side of the first half-fin structure facing the second primary side of the second half-fin structure.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein at least the first primary side of the silicon-based first half-fin structure has a surface roughness of a root mean squared (RMS) value of 2 microns or less. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the layer of diamond on at least one of the first fin structure and the second fin structure has a thickness in a range between 10 μm and 500 μm. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 polishing a first primary side of a silicon wafer;   forming a layer of diamond on the first primary side of the silicon wafer;   micromachining a second primary side of the silicon wafer that is opposite the first primary side to form at least one recess on the second primary side;   cutting the silicon wafer to provide a first half-structure such that a first primary side of the first half-structures is covered by a respective layer of diamond and a second primary side of the first half-structure that is opposite the first primary side of the half-structure has a respective one of the at least one recess; and   bonding a silicon-based second half-structure with the first half-fin structure to form a silicon-based manifold, the second half-structure having at least one coolant inlet port and at least one coolant outlet port.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein polishing the first primary side of the silicon wafer comprises polishing the first primary side of the silicon wafer such that the first primary side of the silicon wafer has a surface roughness of a root mean squared (RMS) value of 2 microns or less. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein forming the layer of diamond on the first primary side of the silicon wafer comprises forming, on the first primary side of the silicon wafer, a layer of diamond having a thickness in a range between 10 μm and 500 μm. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein:
 micromachining the second primary side of the silicon wafer to form at least one recess on the second primary side comprises micromachining the second primary side of the silicon wafer to form at least one recess on the second primary side such that at least a portion of the layer of diamond is exposed on the second primary side of the wafer; and   cutting the silicon wafer to provide the first half-structure such that a first primary side of the first half-structures is covered by a respective layer of diamond and a second primary side of the first half-structure has a respective one of the at least one recess comprises cutting the silicon wafer to provide the first half-structure such that the first primary side of the first half-structures is covered by the respective layer of diamond and the second primary side of the first half-structure has a respective one of the at least one recess that exposes the respective layer of diamond on the second primary side of the first half-structure.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 attaching a heat-generating device to the manifold such that the heat-generating device is in direct contact with the layer of diamond on the first primary side of the first half-structure; and   causing a coolant to flow into the manifold through the coolant inlet port and out of the manifold through the coolant outlet port to remove a portion of heat from the heat-generating device.