Tuesday, September 19, 2006

US Patent 7107777 - IC Cooling with Mems Fluid Pump

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7107777.pdf

Increasing circuit density results in increased heat generation. Heat sinks, fans, and heat spreaders are typically used for cooling but are limited in effectiveness for chips with high power density areas. This patent proposes that instead of using external cooling mechanisms, such as fans and heat sinks, the cooling devices should be integrated with the IC using micropumps for circulating cooling liquid through the high power density areas of ICs. Claim 1 reads:

1. A cooling mechanism integrally formed within an integrated circuit comprising a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) heat pump and channels embedded within the integrated circuit; wherein the MEMS heat pump circulates a cooling fluid throughout the channels within the integrated circuit.