Dual-Sided Shower Cooling Structure for High-Power Semiconductor Chips
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for semiconductor devices are inadequate in handling the increased power density and heat generation of high-performance computing and stacked semiconductor chips, necessitating more efficient cooling solutions.
Innovation Solution
A semiconductor device with a multiple side shower cooling structure that supplies cooling liquid to both the top and bottom surfaces of the semiconductor chip using a stacked configuration of shower blocks with non-parallel inlet and outlet channels, enhancing heat exchange efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If air cooling devices are used, then the cooling system is simple, but they cannot handle the increased power density and heat generation of high-performance computing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from air cooling to liquid cooling by introducing a cooling liquid circulation system with nozzles, channels, and outlets. The liquid cooling structure directly contacts the semiconductor chip surfaces, enabling efficient heat removal through fluid convection and phase change, thereby handling high power density while maintaining manageable system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs two-phase liquid cooling where the cooling liquid undergoes phase change (evaporation and condensation) to absorb and transport heat. The liquid evaporates at the heat-generating surfaces, absorbs latent heat, and condenses elsewhere, providing high cooling efficiency for high-power devices without requiring overly complex active cooling systems
2Device complexity
If single-phase liquid cooling is used, then the cooling system is simpler, but it cannot process heat in a wider temperature range compared to two-phase cooling
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes two-phase liquid cooling where the cooling liquid undergoes phase change (evaporation and condensation) to absorb and transport heat. The liquid evaporates at the heat-generating surfaces, absorbs latent heat, and condenses elsewhere, providing high cooling efficiency for high-power devices while managing a wider temperature range compared to single-phase systems
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is divided into multiple independent components: cooling blocks with nozzles for liquid injection, channels for liquid flow, and outlets for discharge. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for specific temperature ranges and heat flux conditions, enabling the overall system to handle a broader temperature spectrum through coordinated operation of multiple zones
3Device complexity
If cooling liquid is supplied only to one surface of the semiconductor chip, then the cooling structure is simpler, but it cannot provide sufficient cooling for high power density chips
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from single-sided cooling to dual-sided cooling by adding nozzles and cooling channels on both the top and bottom surfaces of the semiconductor chip. This dimensional expansion allows heat to be removed from both surfaces simultaneously, effectively doubling the cooling capacity and enabling the system to handle high power density without proportionally increasing structural complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines multiple cooling functions into an integrated dual-sided cooling structure where cooling blocks, nozzles, channels, and outlets are merged into a coordinated system. The top and bottom cooling surfaces work together as a unified thermal management solution, providing synergistic heat removal capability that scales with power density while maintaining structural efficiency
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides higher cooling efficiency and maintains a stable temperature range for semiconductor chips with high power density, effectively managing heat generation.
Implementation Method 1
a plurality of first nozzles configured to spray a cooling liquid into the cavity toward a top surface of the at least one semiconductor chip
Implementation Method 2
spray a cooling liquid into the cavity toward a top surface of the at least one semiconductor chip
Data Source
AI summary
A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip including a semiconductor integrated circuit; a cooling block including a first shower block and a second shower block stacked on the first shower block such that the first shower block and the second shower block define a cavity in which the at least one semiconductor chip is accommodated; and a printed circuit board, wherein the at least one cooling block is on the printed circuit board. The first shower block includes: first nozzles configured to spray a cooling liquid into the cavity toward a top surface of the semiconductor chip; and first outlets that receive the cooling liquid from the cavity, and the second shower block includes: second nozzles configured to spray the cooling liquid into the cavity toward a bottom surface of the semiconductor chip; and second outlets that receive the cooling liquid from the cavity.