Geometric modification and placement of high heat flux ic chips on substrates of different materials for enhanced heat transfer

Abstract

This article presents the significance of using different sizes and positions of IC (Integrated Circuit) chips that are mounted on substrates of different materials. The ICs are cooled by forced convection in a horizontal wind tunnel. COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4 solve the IC chip cooling problem by selecting a conjugate heat transfer module with laminar flow. FR4, ba-kelite, single and multi-layer copper clad boards are used as substrate materials. Numerical simulations are performed for FR4, bakelite with a constant heat flux of 5000 W/m2, at 2.5 m/s air velocity. In contrast, single and multi-layer copper clad boards are studied for 10000 W/m2 with 1.5 m/s air velocity. The prime objective of this research is to use adequate size and placement of chips generating high heat fluxes for enhanced heat transfer. Results showed that larger chips placed at bottom rows and sequentially decreasing sizes in the subsequent rows for the same overall input for high substrate thermal conductivity give more heat dissipation. Among all configurations A0 – F considered in the study, case E provides minimum tempera-ture using single and multi-layer copper clad boards. In addition to modification of chip sizes, geometric spacing of X1/X2 = 1.8 results in lower maximum temperature.