US 7,567,090 B2
Liquid recovery, collection method and apparatus in a non-recirculating test and burn-in application
Normand Cote, Granby (Canada); Peter J. Demko, Essex Junction, Vt. (US); David L. Gardell, Fairfax, Vt. (US); Jeffrey D. Gelorme, Burlington, Conn. (US); Marc D. Knox, Hinesburg, Vt. (US); George J. Lawson, Barre, Vt. (US); and Kathryn C. Rivera, Hopewell Junction, N.Y. (US)
Assigned to International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, N.Y. (US)
Filed on Oct. 23, 2006, as Appl. No. 11/551,735.
Prior Publication US 2008/0116921 A1, May 22, 2008
Int. Cl. G01R 31/02 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 324—760  [324/765; 165/80.4] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
11. A heat sink configured for use in a burn-in of an integrated circuit chip, comprising:
an essentially flat heat sink surface having micro-channels and at least one liquid opening circumscribed by a liquid recovery channel formed in the essentially flat heat sink surface;
a liquid feed inlet assembly in communication with the at least one liquid opening and configured to transport heat sink liquid through the at least one liquid opening and onto said essentially flat heat sink surface and into said micro-channels;
at least one liquid recovery path connecting the liquid recovery channel to a liquid outlet; and
circumscribing edges formed by the liquid recovery channel defining an integrated circuit chip surface interface area on the essentially flat heat sink surface having a height variation of no more than four microns difference in height between opposing edges of the circumscribing edges, the interface area configured to engage an essentially flat surface of an integrated circuit chip comprising micro-channels, the integrated circuit chip surface micro-channels and the interface area surface micro-channels thereby configured to together receive and channel the heat sink liquid transported from the liquid feed inlet assembly through the at least one liquid opening across and into contact with the surface of the integrated circuit and into the liquid recovery channel during a burn-in procedure performed on the integrated circuit chip;
wherein the liquid recovery channel and the at least one liquid recovery path are configured to continuously receive and convey heat sink liquid transported though said at least one liquid opening and channeled across and into contact with the surface of the integrated circuit chip though the integrated circuit chip and interface area micro-channels away from the interface area and to the liquid outlet, the continuously transported heat sink fluid thereby configured to improve conduction of heat between the integrated circuit chip surface and the heat sink surface interface area without static breakdown of the heat sink fluid during the burn-in procedure.