Experimental investigation on the thermal performance of Si micro-heat pipe with different cross-sections

Abstract

Increasing component densities of the integrated circuit (IC) and packaging levels has led to thermal management problems. Si substrates with embedded micro-heat pipes (MHPs) couple good thermal characteristics and cost savings associated with IC batch processing. The thermal performance of MHP is intimately related to the cross-sectional geometry. Different cross-sections are designed in order to enhance the backflow of working fluid. In this experimental study, three different Si MHPs with same hydraulic diameter and various cross-sections are fabricated by micro-fabrication methods and tested under different conditions of fluid charge ratios. The results show that the trapezoidal MHP associated with rectangular artery which is charged with 40% of vapor chamber’s volume has the best thermal performance. This silicon-based MHP is a passive approach for thermal management, which could widen applications in the commercial electronics industry and LED lightings.