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Heat spreader with vapor chamber and heat dissipation apparatus using the same

Heat spreader with vapor chamber and heat dissipation apparatus using the same description/claims

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to heat spreaders, and more particularly to a heat spreader having a vapor chamber for transfer or dissipation of heat from a heat-generating component and a heat dissipation apparatus using the same.

2. Description of Related Art

Nowadays, heat spreaders are used in electronic products for dissipating heat generated by electronic components such as CPUs. Typically, the heat spreader includes a vacuum vessel defining therein a vapor chamber, a wick structure provided in the chamber and lining an inside wall of the vessel, and a working fluid contained in the wick structure. The heat spreader is arranged to have an intimate contact with the electronic component so as to form a heating area at a middle portion of the heat spreader corresponding to the electronic component and a cooling area at the other portion of the heat spreader.

As the electronic component is maintained in thermal contact with the heat spreader, the working fluid contained in the wick structure corresponding to the heating area vaporizes. The vapor then spreads to fill the chamber, and wherever the vapor comes into contact with the cooling area of the vessel, it releases its latent heat of vaporization and condenses. The condensate returns to the heating area via a capillary force generated by the wick structure. Thereafter, the condensate frequently vaporizes and condenses to thereby remove the heat generated by the electronic component.

As progress continues to be made in electronics area, the electronic components are made to be more powerful while occupying a smaller size. Thus, the heating area needs to transfer more heat to the cooling area of the heat spreader. In contrast, the heating area of the heat spreader is decreased as the size of the electronic component is decreased, and the cooling area of the heat spreader is commensurately increased. Therefore, the heat flux density between the heating and the cooling areas of the heat spreader is increased. Accordingly, the wick structure needs to have more powerful heat transfer capability. However, the wick structure of the heat spreader selected from the conventional types, such as mesh, fiber, fine grooves, and sintered powder, cannot satisfy such requirement, which further limits the increase for the heat transfer capability of the heat spreader. Therefore, it is need to provide a heat spreader which contains a wick structure having more powerful heat transfer capability.

The present invention relates, in one aspect, to a heat spreader for transfer or dissipation of heat from a heat-generating component and a heat dissipation apparatus using the same. The heat dissipation apparatus includes a heat sink and a heat spreader. The heat spreader includes a heating area and a cooling area, and defines a vapor chamber therein. A plurality of artery meshes are arranged in the vapor chamber and extend from the heating area outwardly towards the cooling area. Wick structures are respectively attached to a top surface of a base plate and a bottom surface of a top cover of the heat spreader. The artery meshes are sandwiched between the wick structures. A working medium is contained in the artery meshes and the wick structures. In addition to be transferred vertically upwardly to reach a heat sink on the heat spreader by vaporization of the working medium, heat absorbed by the heating area of the heat spreader can be transferred to the cooling area horizontally via the artery meshes.

Other advantages and novel features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a heat dissipation apparatus in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a heat spreader of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top, cross-sectional view of the heat spreader of FIG. 2, taken along line III-III thereof;

FIG. 4 is a partly enlarged view of an artery mesh of the heat spreader of FIG. 3, in circle IV; and

FIG. 5 is an enlarged transverse view of the artery mesh of FIG. 4, taken along line V-V thereof.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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