Chip power density and module cooling technology projections for the current decade

Several cooling technologies were examined with the intent of quantifying their cooling capabilities based on practical applications or constraints. Several air cooling concepts were examined: a heat sink attached to the module, a heat sink attached directly to the chip, and a heat pipe heat sink attached directly to the chip. Water cooling concepts were also examined: water cooled cold plate attached to a module and a bellows cooling concept that brings the water closer to the chip. And finally, liquid immersion cooling schemes were examined: Jet impingement, flow through a heat sink attached to the chip, and spray cooling. Both fluoroinerts cooling and water cooling were considered. Fluroinert cooling in general does not fair as well as water cooling. Water cooling by far has the greatest cooling extendibility, and when applied directly to the chip is the only technology considered in this study capable of handling heat fluxes in excess of 200 W/cm².