Flow Boiling in Microgap Coolers for 3D Integrated Circuits, Year 2

The proposed approach, which facilitates integration of coolant channels within a silicon based micro-heat exchanger, offers high heat flux cooling, reduces heat exchanger size, minimizes the thermal resistance between the heat source and sink (thus reducing radiator size), and negates gravity effects on the two-phase coolant flow. The proposed effort will assess the thermal capabilities of two-phase cooling in electronic components, continue FY15 orientation independence studies, and begin to quantify system-level space, weight, and power advantages. The FY15 effort 1) demonstrated stable flow boiling in 100_m channels, such as those expected between adjacent dies in a 3D chip stack, at heat fluxes as high as 41 W/cm2; 2. achieved a COP of 28, and 3) advanced the TRL from 2 to 3. FY16 efforts will bring the technology to TRL 4.