Heat sink made from a singly extruded heatpipe

Abstract

A heatpipe for cooling an integrated circuit. The heatpipe includes a pipe and radial fins that are formed by extruding a single piece of material, such as heat conducting metal. Each of the radial fins extends away from the pipe and runs (preferably) the length of the pipe. Each radial fin has normally oriented subfins that provide additional heat convection surface areas to the radial fins. Within the pipe are interior fins, also formed during the material extrusion process. The interior fins provide additional conduction cooling to a heat transferring fluid circulating within the pipe.

1 . A method for forming a heatpipe, the method comprising: 
 extruding a single piece of material to form: 
 a pipe, and  
 a plurality of external fins oriented longitudinally along the exterior sides of the pipe;  
   coupling a first end of the pipe to a base;    filling an interior of the pipe with a heat-transferring fluid; and    attaching a pipe cap to a second end of the pipe.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the extruded single piece of material includes a plurality of interior fins running longitudinally along an interior wall of the pipe.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the extruded single piece of material includes at least one subfin extending away from one or more of the extruded external fins.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising placing a wicking material between the fluid and an interior wall of the pipe before sealing the second end of the pipe with the pipe cap.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising placing a wicking material between the fluid and the interior fins before sealing the second end of the pipe with the pipe cap.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the extruded material is a metal.