Intel researchers have found a way to simplify head spreader assembly, enabling cost-effective & better designs for "extra-large" advanced packaging chips.
Intel Next-Gen Heatspreader Solution Paves The Way For "Extra-Large" Advanced Packages, Better Thermal & Value Proposition For Big Chips
Intel Foundry researchers have published a new research paper titled "A Novel Disaggregated Approach of Assembling Integrated Heat Spreader for Advanced Packages". In this paper, Intel states that engineers at their Foundry have researched a new disaggregated approach to heat spreaders, not just allowing better value and ease of manufacturing, but also delivering better cooling for high-power chips.
This new heat spreader solution is designed specifically to accommodate Intel's "Advanced Packaging" solutions, such as chips featuring multiple stacking layers and multiple chiplets. The new assembly is said to reduce package warping by up to 30% and reduce thermal interface material void by 25%. The most significant bit of this research is that it will enable Intel to develop and produce "Extra-Large" advanced-packaging chips, which would otherwise be impossible to develop using traditional approaches.
- Intel Foundry engineers researched a new disaggregated approach that separates complex heat spreaders into simpler parts, making advanced chip packaging more cost-effective and easier to manufacture.
- This innovative assembly method can reduce package warping by up to 30% and reduce thermal interface material voids by 25%, leading to better cooling for high-power computer chips.
- The technique enables the production of extra-large chip packages that would otherwise be impossible or prohibitively expensive to manufacture using traditional methods.
The research primarily revolves around breaking down complex, single-piece heat spreaders into multiple yet simpler parts that can be assembled together using standard manufacturing processes. The process involves using optimized adhesives, a flat plate, and an improved stiffener, enabling higher TIM (Thermal Interface) performance.
Traditional high-performance chips, such as CPUs and GPUs, currently utilize a metal heat spreader on top of the main die and distribute heat from the die to the IHS, which then, in turn, flows to the heat sink. But this only works up to a certain limit. As chip designs become more complex and large, exceeding the 7000 mm2 limit, these heat spreaders require intricate stepped cavities and multiple contact areas.
This leads to higher costs as traditional stamping methods cannot form complex shapes required for chips with advanced packaging layouts, and relying on alternatives such as CNC machining leads to higher costs and supply chain delays. This is where the new research plays its role, as detailed below:
A Novel Approach to Complex Assembly
In traditional semiconductor packaging, heat spreaders are typically single, monolithic pieces of metal that must be precisely shaped to fit over complex chip arrangements. The disaggregated approach instead uses separate pieces of material that are joined together during the packaging process.
This approach works by taking advantage of existing packaging assembly lines, where components are already attached in sequence. As shown in Figure 1, the flat plates provide the primary heat spreading surface, while stiffeners add structural support for package flatness and create the necessary cavity shapes for different chip architectures. Each component can be manufactured using conventional stamping processes, eliminating the need for specialized high-tonnage equipment or expensive machining operations.
This leads to a 7% improvement in package coplanarity, which is a measure of how flat and even the surface remains when the stiffener is attached before installing the chip. Overall, this research will play a crucial role for Intel to help develop massive chip packages in the future using its advanced process and package technologies. Intel Foundry Engineers are also exploring how this approach can be further adapted into other specialized cooling solutions, such as high-conductivity metal composite heat spreaders and integration with liquid cooling systems.
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