Extending the Cooling Limit of Remote Radio Head (RRH) Systems Based on Level 1 Thermal Management

The evolution of wireless networks from 3G/4G to 5G will significantly increase the bandwidth, capacity and capability of these systems. To address these growing requirements, chip manufacturers are using aggressive node scaling coupled with tighter SoC integration to deliver the promises of the next generation network without negatively impacting system power. The combination of these techniques contribute to the breakdown of Dennard Scaling and result in higher power and thermal densities per device as we integrate more circuitry into smaller areas demanding a greater challenge to existing thermal design techniques and driving changes to this development. This paper will explore one such change using a lidless package paired with an innovative surface and mounting method to address this growing power density paradigm.