Heat
Spreader Drops IC Temperature in Laser Printer
A
laser printer manufacturer needed to cool an integrated circuit
in a new desktop model. The component, an ASIC PQFP, was near
the upper limit of its operating case temperature. Tight packaging
of the printer's enclosure required a low-profile cooling solution,
which must be applied within the OEM's automated assembly line.
Any cooling device attaching to the component with pressure
sensitive adhesive (PSA) must be compatible with residual mold
release agents on the plastic package.
Chomerics
provided a customized T-Wing® heat spreader with special
packaging. The T-Wing part consisted of a 5-oz (0.007in./0.178
mm) copper foil with electrically insulating film laminated
on both sides. One side featured high bond strength, pressure
sensitive adhesive (PSA), covered with a low peel-strength release
liner. The silicone adhesive was compatible with the mold release
agent.
In the OEM's automated assembly process,
a vacuum head picks the T-Wing from the custom tray.
While
a stream of air flexes the release liner, a clamp grabs and
removes it from the T-Wing part. The machinery then places the
spreader onto the integrated circuit. The silicone adhesive
bonds tightly to the plastic package. In use, the component's
case temperature is reduced by 9°C
