Four-Compartment Microchannel Heat Sink for Uniform Chip Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current thermal management systems for high heat flux applications face challenges such as high temperature gradients, flow maldistribution, and nonuniform cooling, which affect the performance and reliability of electronic devices, particularly in densely packed semiconductor chips.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management device with a microchannel heat sink assembly featuring four compartments, a structured micro-size metal mesh, and anisotropic carbon-based thermal interface materials, optimized using computational fluid dynamics to minimize temperature differences and achieve uniform cooling, with the compartments positioned parallel to the gravitational force.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If conventional passive cooling or single-phase microchannel heat sinks are used, then cooling capability is provided, but high temperature gradients and nonuniform cooling occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs phase-change materials (paraffin wax) encapsulated within the heat sink structure to absorb excess heat through melting phase transition. This phase change process maintains a constant temperature during heat absorption, effectively reducing temperature gradients and achieving uniform cooling across the electronic device surface, thereby improving both temperature uniformity and device reliability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention creates a composite thermal management system combining metal heat sink structure, phase-change materials (paraffin), and thermal interface materials. This composite structure leverages the high thermal conductivity of metal, the latent heat absorption of phase-change materials, and the thermal bonding properties of interface materials to achieve superior temperature uniformity and reliability compared to conventional single-material cooling solutions
2Temperature
If phase-change materials are used for cooling, then uniform cooling is achieved, but low thermal conductivity and leakage problems occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent utilizes porous structure within the heat sink to contain the phase-change material, providing both mechanical support and thermal conduction pathways. The porous structure prevents leakage of the phase-change material while maintaining thermal contact, and the capillary action in porous materials enhances heat transfer from the electronic device to the phase-change material, thereby improving both cooling uniformity and thermal stability
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces thermal interface materials as an intermediary between the electronic device and the phase-change material, ensuring optimal thermal contact. This intermediary layer compensates for surface irregularities and maintains reliable thermal coupling, preventing thermal instability and leakage issues while preserving the uniform cooling effect of the phase-change material
3Temperature
If active cooling systems are used, then cooling performance is improved, but high pressure drop and complex structure occur
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a passive thermal management system that utilizes natural convection and phase-change mechanisms without requiring external power sources or active control systems. The heat sink automatically responds to heat generation from electronic devices through natural buoyancy-driven convection currents and phase-change material response, achieving effective heat dissipation while maintaining simple structure and avoiding the complexity of active cooling systems
Solution Approach 2:
The heat sink is divided into multiple compartments or zones, each containing phase-change materials and designed to handle heat from specific high-heat-flux regions of the electronic device. This segmented structure allows targeted thermal management of hot spots while maintaining overall system simplicity, avoiding the need for complex centralized active cooling systems
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 device achieves less than 1K non-uniformity with a heat flow of up to 0.5 MW/m2, reducing thermal strains and extending the lifespan of semiconductor devices while maintaining low pressure drop levels and high heat transfer efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a microchannel heat sink assembly physically connected to the thermal interface materials component thereby providing for the transfer of thermal energy
Implementation Method 2
microchannel heat sink assembly... adapted for increasing a heat transfer rate along a flowing stream
Implementation Method 3
The phase-change materials can absorb and discharge a considerable amount of latent heat during the phase change from solid to liquid or vice versa
Implementation Method 4
The phase-change materials can absorb and discharge a considerable amount of latent heat during the phase change
Implementation Method 5
a microchannel heat sink assembly... adapted for increasing a heat transfer rate along a flowing stream
Data Source
AI summary
The invention discloses a thermal management device for high heat flux application in a microelectronic device comprising an integrated board, a microelectronic chip, a thermal interface materials component, a microchannel heat sink assembly operatively connected to the thermal interface materials component, for heat dissipation from the integrated board and the microelectronic chip to the thermal interface materials component, wherein the microchannel heat sink assembly comprises a housing and an adiabatic wall configured to allow heat to pass across the microchannel heat sink assembly. The microchannel heat sink assembly is a four-compartment microchannel heat sink assembly with symmetrical areas.