Embedded Microtube Cooling in 3D IC Stacks for Heat Removal
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling systems for integrated circuits struggle to effectively remove heat from compact, high-speed, and multifunctional electronic devices, leading to overheating issues that can degrade electrical properties and cause device malfunction.
Innovation Solution
The integration of a cooling system within the integrated circuit unit, where grooves are etched into the wafer body of electronic chips to house tubes that allow for the passage of a cooling fluid, eliminating the risk of leakage and enhancing heat transfer efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the size of integrated circuits is reduced to increase performance and reduce power consumption, then the device becomes more compact and efficient, but heat generation increases excessively due to high-speed operations and dense interconnections
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling tube is nested within a groove etched into the wafer body of the integrated circuit chip. This allows the cooling system to be integrated directly into the chip structure, with the tube housed inside the groove that is part of the chip's substrate, achieving compact integration without external cooling components
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system transitions from external or surface-level cooling to internal three-dimensional cooling by etching grooves into the wafer body and embedding tubes within them. This vertical integration into the chip's depth allows efficient heat removal from the active area without increasing the chip's footprint
2Volume of moving object
If three-dimensional stack-type integrated circuits are used to reduce space requirements, then the device becomes more compact and multifunctional, but heat removal becomes insufficient due to limited thermal paths
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple cooling tubes are nested within grooves etched into each wafer body in the stack. This allows each chip in the 3D stack to have its own integrated cooling system, enabling independent heat removal from each layer and preventing heat accumulation in the vertical stack structure
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is segmented into multiple independent tubes, each serving specific regions of the chip. This segmentation allows heat to be removed from different areas simultaneously and enables optimized cooling paths for different heat-generating components within the stack
3Temperature
If conventional cooling systems are used for integrated circuits, then heat removal is attempted, but leakage risks and insufficient heat transfer efficiency occur
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling tube is nested within a groove that is etched into the wafer body itself, creating a protected internal pathway. This integration ensures the tube is mechanically supported by the chip structure and sealed within the groove, preventing leakage while maintaining direct thermal contact for efficient heat transfer
Solution Approach 2:
The cooling system is merged with the chip's structural elements by using the wafer body's own material to form the groove that houses the tube. This merging of structural and cooling functions eliminates separate sealing components and reduces leakage risks through integrated design
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
This solution effectively reduces the surface temperature of electronic chips, maintains electrical properties over time, and prevents short-circuit issues, while also being cost-effective and easily integratable into existing systems without increasing device size.
Implementation Method 1
at least one tube (3), which is housed in the groove (2) therein, and which allows the transport of a fluid for cooling the electronic chips (10)
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit unit comprises at least one electronic chip consisting of a wafer body including at least one groove extending along its surface from one end to the other, and of an active area; the integrated circuit unit further comprises at least one tube, which is housed in the groove therein, and which allows the transport of a fluid for cooling the electronic chips. A three-dimensional stack-type integrated circuit system comprises two integrated circuit units and a three-dimensional stack-type integrated circuit system comprising more than two integrated circuit units.