ISSN Print: 1049-0787
ISSN Online: 2375-0294
Indexed in
THERMAL MANAGEMENT TECHNOLOGIES FOR 3D STACKED ICS
ABSTRACT
Compared to planar integrated circuits (ICs), 3D stacked ICs as an emerging technology have significant advantages, including shorter interconnection length, smaller power consumption, and higher computation speed. However, chip stacking poses great challenges to thermal management. Three cooling technologies, namely, air cooling, passive immersion cooling, and intertier microfluidic cooling, are reviewed. Intertier microfluidic cooling is shown to be the most promising technology for future 3D stacked ICs due to its superior thermal performance and scalability. However, to fully utilize this technology, reliable fluid delivery systems and good heat transfer fluids are required. Three different fluidic interconnects, and criteria for heat transfer fluids selection for both single phase and two-phase cooling are discussed. It is concluded that extensive research on integration of intertier microfluidic cooling of 3D stacked ICs is still needed.