US Patent 7335983 - CNT microchimney for IC cooling

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7335983.html

As more and more circuits are crammed into smaller and smaller spaces for processor designs heat generation is becoming a dominating issue. This patent from Intel uses carbon nanotubes which are whimsically referred to as "micro-chimneys" to facilitate heat removal from ICs. Claim 1 reads:

1. A semiconductor package comprising: a die, including an integrated circuit, formed of a bulk material further forming a cavity; a plurality of carbon nanotubes disposed within the cavity and coupled to the die near a region heated by the integrated circuit; and a plurality of plates, wherein the plurality of carbon nanotubes is divided into a plurality of groups according to carbon nanotube length, each group corresponding to one plate coupled to one or more carbon nanotubes of the group.