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ISSN Online: 2377-424X

ISBN CD: 1-56700-226-9

ISBN Online: 1-56700-225-0

International Heat Transfer Conference 13
August, 13-18, 2006, Sydney, Australia

PHASE CHANGE THERMAL TRANSPORT IN ETCHED SILICON MICROCHANNEL HEAT SINKS

Get access (open in a dialog) DOI: 10.1615/IHTC13.p12.280
12 pages

Abstract

Electronics industry roadmaps continue to predict a surge in power density in microprocessor chips at the same rapid rates that have marked growth in the past decade. Several thermal management techniques have been proposed to overcome the concomitant increases in thermal loads. These include microchannels, heat pipes, spray cooling, and refrigerated systems. Of the methods proposed, microchannel heat sinks embedded in heat spreaders or on the non-active side of the ICs themselves, have the advantage of being compact and easy to integrate into the electrical system.
The phase-change thermal transport reported here was carried out on microchannel heat sinks etched in silicon and cooled by the dielectric fluid FC72. Microchannels with a hydraulic diameter of 253 microns were studied. The base of each microchannel is augmented with 20-micron cavities to trigger controlled nucleation activity and help control large-scale instabilities reported in the literature. The integrated microthermometry used to measure local surface and fluid temperatures is described. The heat sources used were serpentine aluminum thin film heaters. The paper reports pressure drops, and heat transfer coefficients as a function of cavity spacing, flowrate, heat flux, and degrees of subcooling.