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Products => Other Equipment & Products => Topic started by: alexig on July 20, 2011, 12:04:23 pm

Title: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: alexig on July 20, 2011, 12:04:23 pm

Hi all,

I just pulled a product apart and found that one chip had a stone based material (or something similar) on it as a heatsink ???.

This is the first time I've seen this, is it common and/or just a way to cut costs? This board also had a proper heatsink on a larger chip.

(http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5854/img2107is.th.jpg) (http://img16.imageshack.us/img16/5854/img2107is.jpg)

(http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9003/img2108gh.th.jpg) (http://img41.imageshack.us/img41/9003/img2108gh.jpg)


Alex.

Title: Re: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: scrat on July 20, 2011, 12:39:48 pm

Could be a ceramic (sintered) material..

Title: Re: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: sacherjj on July 20, 2011, 01:51:22 pm

It could impulse heat sink needs and using the thermal mass of the ceramic as a buffer.  I'm not familiar with the heat transfer characteristics of ceramics vs more normal heat sink materials. 

Title: Re: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: saturation on July 20, 2011, 03:16:29 pm

Nice, first time I've seen that on a real product.  Read about them, since they are porous and thermally conductive they have more exposed surface area than aluminum.

http://www.electronics-cooling.com/2010/11/micro-porous-ceramic-heat-sinks-enhance-heat-dissipation/ (http://www.electronics-cooling.com/2010/11/micro-porous-ceramic-heat-sinks-enhance-heat-dissipation/)

http://www.ceramtec.com/index/products/ceramcool/ceramic-heat-sinks/ (http://www.ceramtec.com/index/products/ceramcool/ceramic-heat-sinks/)

I've seen them in some LED bulbs, but thought at first they were insulators.

(http://www.ceramtec.com/img/content/1104_01.jpg)

Quote from: scrat on July 20, 2011, 12:39:48 pm

Could be a ceramic (sintered) material..

Title: Re: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: sacherjj on July 20, 2011, 03:28:48 pm

Interesting.  Good links, thanks.

Title: Re: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: scrat on July 21, 2011, 07:26:28 pm

I remember ceramic packaged ICs, like Intel's 8088 or something similar... Even older than me!
However, I think some PC processors have been packaged in ceramics until quite recent days.

You could recognize them from the "metallic" sound (with respect to plastics) and roughness of the surface.

Title: Re: Stone as a heatsink?
Post by: saturation on July 22, 2011, 11:25:51 am

Yes, I remember many of those, I always thought it was some sort of metal alloy that felt like ceramic.

Quote from: scrat on July 21, 2011, 07:26:28 pm

I remember ceramic packaged ICs, like Intel's 8088 or something similar... Even older than me!
However, I think some PC processors have been packaged in ceramics until quite recent days.

You could recognize them from the "metallic" sound (with respect to plastics) and roughness of the surface.