This invention introduces advanced liquid-cooled cold plates with localized micro-channel, pin fin, and lattice structures that deliver targeted hotspot cooling, quasi-uniform temperatures, and reduced pumping power for multi-chip modules and 3D-ICs.
Background: High-performance computing systems, AI accelerators, and data centers face thermal management challenges due to uneven heat flux and localized hotspots in multi-chip modules and 3D-ICs. Conventional air cooling and uniform cold plate solutions are inefficient—requiring excessive pumping power, causing overcooling in non-critical regions, or failing to prevent thermal throttling in high-demand zones. These inefficiencies reduce device reliability, limit sustained performance, and increase energy costs. A precision-engineered cooling solution is needed to address non-uniform thermal loads efficiently.
Technology Overview: This invention features a liquid-cooled multi-chip cold plate system with a thermally conductive base engineered for localized thickness variations and integrated microstructures. Cooling pathways include micro-channels, pin fin arrays, and porous lattices, with throttling zones and bypass routes directing coolant precisely where it is most needed. This two-stage architecture minimizes hydraulic resistance, reduces temperature peaks, and balances cooling across chips with non-uniform power profiles. Fabricated via 3D printing and optimized through computational fluid dynamics (CFD), the design achieves superior cooling efficiency and energy savings compared to jet impingement, vapor chamber, or uniform cold plate systems.
Advantages: • Provides targeted hotspot cooling to prevent thermal throttling and enhance reliability • Achieves quasi-uniform temperature distribution across multi-chip systems • Reduces pumping power and pressure drop vs. conventional microchannel plates • Enables highly complex, optimized cooling structures through additive manufacturing • Locally reduces base thickness to improve thermal conduction under hotspots • Reduces thermal interface resistance through direct coolant integration • Outperforms jet impingement and vapor chamber solutions for localized cooling
Applications: • High-performance computing systems and AI accelerators requiring sustained thermal stability • 3D-integrated circuits and heterogeneous multi-chip modules with variable heat flux profiles • Rugged aerospace, defense, and automotive electronics under size, weight, and power (SWaP) constraints • Data centers and HPC facilities seeking improved power usage effectiveness (PUE) via warm liquid cooling • Advanced optoelectronics and microfluidic-integrated devices requiring high-efficiency thermal management
Intellectual Property Summary: • US Provisional Patent Application 63/457,012 – Filed April 4, 2023 (Converted) • US Utility Patent Application 18/624,304 – Filed April 2, 2024
Stage of Development: Validated – Laboratory and CFD-optimized prototypes demonstrated improved thermal uniformity, reduced pressure drop, and superior hotspot cooling. TRL ~5–6.
Licensing Status: This technology is available for licensing.
Licensing Potential: Ideal for adoption by data center operators, chip manufacturers, and aerospace/defense integrators seeking precision, energy-efficient thermal solutions for next-generation computing and electronics systems.
Additional Information: Prototype performance data, CFD models, and additive manufacturing design specifications available upon request.
Inventors: Paul Chiarot, Mahdi Farahikia, Yaser Hadad, Bahgat Sammakia