Thermal enhanced plastic ball grid array with heat sink attachment option

Abstract

A thermal enhanced structure comprising a packaged electronic device and a heat sink that is removably attached thereto. The thermal enhanced structure includes a plastic ball grid array (PGBA) with an electronic chip, a plastic mold cover, and a heat spreader with a plurality of spaced apart securing studs positioned and caulked at a periphery edge thereof. The mold cover, the heat spreader and studs are molded and embedded with one another to form a single unit with improved torque strength and heat dissipation. The single molded unit and the plastic ball grid array are secured together by an adhesive material. Then the heat sink can be easily and removably attached to the molded single unit by fastening elements to the molded studs, thereby allowing more efficient controllable forces or pressures to be applied as the mechanical fastening elements are removably attached to the molded studs to thereby prevent stress and damage to the PBGA package.

1 . A structure for removably attaching a heat sink to a packaged electronic device, comprising:
 a plastic ball grid array (PGBA) with an electronic chip defining an electronic laminate package;   a heat spreader with a plurality of upward extending and spaced securing studs positioned and caulked directly on a periphery edge thereof;   a plastic mold cover;   the plastic cover is molded on and over an upper surface of the heat spreader and about the spaced securing studs and embedded together as a single one-piece unit;   the single molded heat spreader and plastic cover unit being secured to the plastic ball grid array by an adhesive material; and   a heat sink removably attached directly to the molded single unit by fastening elements to the securing studs,   wherein the single molded unit improves the heat dissipation property of the PBGA package, while allowing for more efficient controllable torque forces or pressures to be applied as the fastening elements are attached to the studs to prevent stress and damage to the PBGA package.