Thermal modeling and control limits in high performance microprocessors

This work investigates, both analytically and experimentally, transient behavior of a typical microprocessor package and associated external cooling components. Thermal test package matching geometry and power densities of a real functional device used as convenient experimental means of device thermal characterization. Harmonic power sourcing and temperature sensing with lock-in amplifiers is used to obtain steady-periodic response at a spectrum of excitation frequencies. This direct thermal impedance measurement technique supplements more conventional time-domain measurements. Analytic modeling involves solutions to thermal conduction equation in a multilayer, applied in simplified geometries.