A Practical Implementation of Silicon Microchannel Coolers for High Power Chips

This paper describes a practical implementation of a single-phase Si microchannel cooler designed for cooling very high power chips such as microprocessors. Through the use of multiple heat exchanger zones and optimized cooler fin designs, a unit thermal resistance 10.5 C-mm²/W from the cooler surface to the inlet water was demonstrated with a fluid pressure drop of <35 kPa. Further, cooling of a thermal test chip with a microchannel cooler bonded to it packaged in a single chip module was also demonstrated for a chip power density greater than 300 W/cm². Coolers of this design should be able to cool chips with average power densities of 400 W/cm² or more.