Simulating IC Chips with Hotspots through Metal-Ceramic Integration

Authors: Chelsea Lavelle, Ping-Chuan Wang, Bryan Czibesz

SUNY Campus: SUNY New Paltz

Presentation Type: Poster

Location: UU 111

Presentation #: 71

Timeslot: Session C 1:45-2:45 PM

Abstract: As the technology of integrated circuit (IC) chips advances, a major roadblock in increasing their computation power is thermal management. One point of interest in thermal management is the case of non-uniform heating across the IC chip, which presents a unique challenge in heat removal. To explore effective heat removal strategies, custom-designed ceramic heaters with embedded heating wire are contemplated to simulate non-uniform heat distribution across IC chips. Fabricating a ceramic heater requires investigation and characterization of integrating metal wire into ceramic disks, taking into consideration the resulting electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties of the heaters. For this project, we explore the design space in both the mixture of ceramic materials and the sintering condition. The ceramic materials comprise alumina (Al2O3), silica (SiO2), and ferro frit which is a ground glass typically used for ceramic glazes and can be used to adjust the firing temperature. The sintering condition includes the peak temperature and its duration. Figure of merit for judging sample quality includes mechanical integrity and heating efficiency of the heaters. The selected sample recipe for heater fabrication will have optimal mechanical properties and uniform heat distribution while maintaining the lowest resistance in the wire so that the heater can withstand high temperatures for an extended period. In this presentation, we will discuss the experimental results and implications, as well as the application in the study of thermal management of IC chips.