What is the difference in heat spreader,heat slug ,and heat sink in a
semiconductor device? I am confused in them. I hope that someone can
tell me the difference. Thank you for your answers.
Slug and spreader have been used interchangably by some mfrs though I tend
to think of a slug as a separate piece of (often copper) metal from the
plate which contacts external cooling devices. IOW the slug is "glued" to
the CPU die and the contact plate is "glued" to the contact plate which is
often prettied up. I may be wrong but I think of a heat spreader as a
combined slug and contact plate.
In semiconductor devices in general a heatsink is generally a separate
piece of finned metal, often painted black and in small devices, like
voltage regulators and high current transistors, is often bolted to the
device package, with some heatsink paste and maybe an insulating film
(mica) in between. Of course with modern CPUs that heatsink is a big hunk
of metal, some with esoteric finning arrangements and an attached fan to
force cool it.
Rgds, George Macdonald
"Just because they're paranoid doesn't mean you're not psychotic" - Who, me??