MICROCHANNEL HEAT SINKS: AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATE-OF-THE-ART

Abstract

Computers are rapidly becoming faster and more versatile, and as a result, high-powered integrated circuits have been produced in order to meet this need. However, these high-speed circuits are expected to generate heat fluxes that exceed the circuit's allowable operating temperature, and so an innovative cooling device is needed to solve this problem. Microchannel heat sinks were introduced in the early 1980s to be used as a means of cooling integrated circuits. Since then, many studies have been conducted in the field of these microchannel heat sinks. Earlier research used mainly single-phase coolants in their heat sinks, but two-phase coolants are now the focus of more recent research. The purpose of this article is to present a state-of-the art literature review of the progress of research in the field of microchannel heat sinks. This literature will focus mainly on the most recent research, starting with the latter half of the 1990s.