Electronic circuit and method with thermal management

Abstract

The disclosure is directed to an improved circuit and method which utilizes a plurality of generally planar diamond substrate layers. Electronic circuit elements are mounted on each of the substrate layers, and the substrate layers are disposed in a stack. Heat exchange means can be coupled generally at the edges of the substrate layers. In a disclosed embodiment, a multiplicity of generally planar diamond substrate layers and a multiplicity of generally planar spacer boards are provided. Each of the substrate layers has mounted thereon a multiplicity of electronic elements and conductive means for coupling between electronic elements. In general, at least some of the electronic elements on the substrate layers comprise integrated circuit chips. The substrate layers and spacer boards are stacked in alternating fashion so that spacer boards are interleaved between adjacent substrate layers. Each of the spacer boards has a multiplicity of electrical conductors extending through its planar thickness to effect coupling between electronic components on the substrate layers on its opposing sides. The extremely high thermal conductivity of diamond permits adequate heat removal from the defined three-dimensional circuit structure by heat exchange means that do not substantially interfere with electronic element density, with vertical interconnect density, or with the desire for small physical size.