International Business Machines Corporation

Kory W Weckman

Arvind Kumar Sinha

Kevin O'Connell

Phillip V Mann

Karl Stathakis

An electronic module is provided in which a chip is disposed over a substrate and electrically connected to the substrate by a plurality of electrical connect structures disposed between the chip and the substrate. A heat distributor, fabricated of a thermally conductive material, is disposed between the chip and the substrate and sized to extend beyond an edge of the chip to facilitate conduction of heat laterally out from between the chip and substrate. The heat distributor includes openings sized and positioned to allow the electrical connect structures to pass through the heat distributor without electrically contacting the heat distributor. The heat distributor is electrically isolated from the electrical connect structures, the chip and the substrate. In one implementation, the heat distributor physically contacts a thermally conductive enclosure of the electronic module to facilitate conduction of heat from between the chip and substrate to the enclosure.

Electronic module with laterally-conducting heat distributor layer

Light can be transmitted between a light source and a light detector or target by using at least two mating connector sections of a light pipe connector. A protrusion of one of the connector sections is designed to be received within a receptacle of another of the connector sections, which can make the light pipe connector mechanically compliant. The two connector sections are fabricated from an optically transmissive material, and have optically reflective surfaces in orthogonal orientations to optically transmissive surfaces adjacent to the light source and the light detector. When the protrusion of one of the connector sections is engaged within the receptacle of another connector section, light can be transmitted through optically transmissive surfaces adjacent to a light source and a light detector, while the orthogonally oriented optically reflective surfaces direct light towards the light detector.

Light pipe connector apparatus

A heat spreader includes a plurality of sensors that indicate that the heat spreader is flat against a chip stack. One or more nodes within a sensor are electrically connected. The electrical resistance values of the connection may be compared to determine if the nodes within the sensors are relatively flat. Sensor flatness may be correlated to heat spreader flatness for determining whether the heat spreader is flat against the chip stack when the heat spreader is installed upon the chip stack.

Heat spreader flatness detection

A method and structures are provided for implementing enhanced thermal conductivity between a lid and heat sink for stacked modules. A chip lid and lateral heat distributor includes cooperating features for implementing enhanced thermal conductivity. The chip lid includes a groove along an inner side wall including a flat wall surface and a curved edge surface. The lateral heat distributor includes a mating edge portion received within the groove. The mating edge portion includes a bent arm for engaging the curved edge surface groove and a flat portion. The lateral heat distributor is assembled into place with the chip lid, the mating edge portion of the lateral heat distributor bends and snaps into the groove of the chip lid. The bent arm portion presses on the curved surface of the groove, and provides an upward force to push the flat portion against the flat wall surface of the groove.

Implementing enhanced thermal conductivity in stacked modules

A heat spreader includes a plurality of sensors that indicate that the heat spreader is flat against and in thermal contact with a plurality of chips when the heat spreader is loaded upon a chip stack. One or more nodes within the sensors are connected by electric conductors. The resistances of the conductors may be compared to determine if the nodes within the sensors are relatively flat. Sensor flatness may be indicated to a higher level electronic device such as a visual display. The display may ultimately be viewed by a user to determine whether the heat spreader is flat and in thermal contact with the plurality of chips when the heat spreader is loaded upon the chip stack.

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Rochester, MN, United States of America

Kory W Weckman