Self-adaptive chip cooling with template-fabricated nanocomposite P(MEO₂MA-co-OEGMA) hydrogel

Conventional microchannels provide effective chip cooling with constant flow rate and this comes at the cost of high pumping power consumption. Considering the dynamic heat load in reality, a self-adaptive microchannel cooling is desired for regulating the flow rate to diminish the operational cost while preserving the inherent cooling effectiveness. Taking the advantages of easy synthesis, well tunable lower critical solution temperature (LCST) and remarkable mechanical strength, this paper reports the self-adaptive microchannel cooling with the thermal-sensitive nanocomposite (NC) P(MEO₂MA-co-OEGMA) hydrogel. A novel route is developed to integrate the hydrogel with the chip using template-aided imprint molding and in situ polymerization. Circular hydrogel is elaborately designed and anchored firmly in the channel. The cooling performance is tested with a custom test vehicle under different operating conditions. The hydrogel acts as a smart valve and tailors the flow rate from 0.14 mL/s to 0.46 mL/s based on heat load variation. Compared with conventional channels, heat flux of 100 W/cm² can be extracted with similar temperature rise while the coefficient of performance (COP) is improved by an order of magnitude. The transient characteristics and repeatability are also validated. The self-adaptive scheme offers both effective and economical liquid cooling for modern electronic devices.