Thermal challenges in the next generation of computer, telecommunication, and military electronic equipment

Abstract

The electronic design community is facing a new phase of thermal challenges in the present and future electronic and optical packaging. It is very common to have localized high-heat-flux components located within the system in direct proximity to other components, which are very sensitive to temperature. This is especially true when the system contains both optical and electronic devices. The current trend of using system-on-chip packaging often results in high-heat-flux devices within the system. On the other hand, the present and next generation of civilian and military electronic equipment needs to be able to accommodate high- heat-fluxes in the same given physical space as equipment developed in the 1990s. Appropriate thermal management techniques need to be introduced, which will satisfy the reliability, maintainability, and availability of the system. In addition, these techniques must be economically acceptable. This panel will address the limitations of the air-cooling, the extension of the air-cooling limits through unique air-cooling technologies, refrigeration cooling, liquid cooling, liquid immersion cooling, and two-phase cooling.