Patent ID: 8410371

Claim:
A submount for an electronic device, comprising: an electrically insulating substrate including first and second surfaces and having a thickness between the first and second surfaces; a first thermally conductive pad on the first surface of the substrate; and an a first electrically inactive thermally conductive via extending from the first surface of the substrate toward the second surface of the substrate and having a first length that is less than the thickness of the substrate, wherein the thermally conductive via has a higher thermal conductivity than a thermal conductivity of the substrate and has substantially vertical sidewalls relative to the first surface of the substrate; a second thermally conductive pad on the second surface of the substrate; and a second electrically inactive thermally conductive via extending from the second surface of the substrate toward the first surface of the substrate and having a second length that is less than the thickness of the substrate, wherein the first thermally conductive via has a higher thermal conductivity than the thermal conductivity of the substrate and has substantially vertical sidewalls relative to the second surface of the substrate; wherein a sum of the first length and the second length is greater than the thickness of the substrate; wherein the first and second electrically inactive thermally conductive vias overlap within the substrate by a distance OL and are spaced apart by a distance d; and wherein heat from the first thermally conductive pad is coupled laterally through the electrically insulating substrate between the substantially vertical sidewall of the first thermally conductive via to the substantially vertical sidewall of the second thermally conductive via in a region of overlap between the first thermally conductive via and the second thermally conductive via.