US 11,679,407 B2
Liquid metal thermal interface material application
Kyle Jordan Arrington, Gilbert, AZ (US); Joseph Blaine Petrini, Gilbert, AZ (US); Aaron McCann, Chandler, AZ (US); Shankar Devasenathipathy, Tempe, AZ (US); James Christopher Matayabas, Jr., Gilbert, AZ (US); Mostafa Aghazadeh, Chandler, AZ (US); and Jerrod Peterson, Hillsboro, OR (US)
Assigned to Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed by Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA (US)
Filed on Jun. 26, 2020, as Appl. No. 16/913,986.
Prior Publication US 2021/0101175 A1, Apr. 8, 2021
Int. Cl. B05C 1/02 (2006.01); B05C 1/00 (2006.01); C23C 28/00 (2006.01); H05K 7/20 (2006.01); B05D 1/28 (2006.01)
CPC B05C 1/02 (2013.01) [B05C 1/00 (2013.01); C23C 28/00 (2013.01); B05D 1/28 (2013.01); H05K 7/2039 (2013.01)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A liquid metal thermal interface material application system comprising
a tapered liquid metal (LM) applicator presoaked with an LM thermal interface material (TIM), the tapered LM applicator including a mounting portion and an LM application region, the tapered LM applicator including a tapered geometry in which the LM application region is smaller than the mounting portion;
an applicator mount to retain the mounting portion of the tapered LM applicator; and
an actuator attached to the applicator mount, the actuator to:
compress the LM application region against a thermal surface;
swipe the LM application region across the thermal surface in a first direction deposit a first LM layer onto the thermal surface;
swipe the LM application region across the thermal surface in a second direction to deposit a second LM layer onto the first LM layer;
a measurement device to:
measure a first dispense weight of LM prior to the deposition of the LM first layer; and
measure a second dispense weight of LM subsequent to the deposition of the second layer of the LM;
wherein:
the actuator is further to swipe the LM application region across the thermal surface to deposit a third LM layer onto the second LM layer in response to a determination that an insufficient amount of LM TIM has been applied based on the first dispense weight and the second dispense weight;
the LM application region contacts only a portion of the thermal surface to reduce an adhesion between the LM application region and the thermal surface; and
the tapered LM applicator includes an open-cell foam applicator with an associated foam porosity configured to promote absorption and diffusion of the LM TIM into the open-cell foam applicator.