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Boffins develop microrefrigerator on a chip
BOFFINS from Arizona State University have demonstrated a microrefrigerator which effectively cools a PC system by targeting specific chip hot spots.
Until now, copper plates, fans and liquid cooling systems have been the traditional chip coolers, but now Intel-sponsored researchers have integrated thermoelectric material directly into chip packaging.
The idea of thermoelectric coolers isn't new, but its application is. Researchers use nanostructured thin-film superlattice as their material of choice. While superlattice does conduct electricity, it doesn't much like conducting heat, making it useful as an integrated thermoelectric system.
Engineers integrated the cooler onto a tiny square of copper, similar to that already used as a heat disperser in contemporary chip packaging. In this case, however, they stuck a 0.4mm squared bit of cooler in between the chip and the copper, so that when the microrefrigerator was turned on, it cooled a specific part of the chip by a 15°C.
The researchers say they'll soon be able to stick three or four microrefrigerators on each chip.
So far the cooling method is still a tad expensive to be in any way realistic, but the time for dispensing with clunky, noisy fans may soon be nigh.
Details of the super-cool research have been published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology. µ
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"...it doesn't much like conducting heat, making it useful as an integrated thermoelectric system."
Shorley for insulating things, no?
The thermoelectric colers will ADD to the total heatoutput of the cpu since they arn't 100% efficient.
They are them selves not that tolerant to high temps.
All that heat has to go somewhere. The colers don't make it disapear. It will go to the surface of the heatsdisperser that will become hotter then ever!
There you will need a regular HSF-coler to take care of all the heat generated.
The point of using these microcolers is to even out the temp over the chip, moving the heat closest to the chip hot spots a milimeter a way to a place where a higher temp can be tolerated and the higher temp differense to the ambient air temp will make it transfer faster.
Finally. Place to chill me microbrews!
"...but the time for dispensing with clunky, noisy fans may soon be nigh."
anyone who says that doesn't understand the principles of cooling, as another reader above me already mentioned.
I suggest you get an editor that holds at least a master's degree in thermodynamics to avoid this sort of misinformation in the future.
Did they hear about KISS? You solve a problem by adding another possible point of failure?
How about making chips run cooler in the first place?
What we need is a nano steam / sterling engine to convert the heat into working electricity.
Think about it. Yes more overall heat will be generated by the operation of the TECs (TECs need to convert power to work), but the rule of having the heatsink (heat exchanger with air) needing to be cooler than the chip would no longer apply. TECs will allow heatsinks to get much hotter whilst the chip still gets cooler, so the heatsinks would require a lesser volume of air flowing through the it, therefore allowing a reduction of the heatsink size and possibly eliminating the need for a fan (and the power needed to drive it, although that saving will be swamped by the amount the TEC will take). So long as the chip runs cool, who cares if a heatsink gets hotter?
Nice try but even if the heatsink can be warmer (true), the same amount of heat from the part still needs to be dissipated every second or the heatsink will keep getting hotter until something catches on fire. The additional radiation from being a few degrees hotter will not replace forced cooling (not counting other components nearby not liking the hotter cooler). you still need to get the heat out of the box...
You’ve incorrectly assumed the cooling is wholly radiative; convection cooling can still be achieved without fans, the air will inherently circulate itself - you will need to think literally ‘out of the box’ to appreciate how this can be achieved. Yes the air flow will be slower than a fan but it won’t need to be as great because the heatsink (and the exhausted air) can be allowed to be hotter.