Enhanced boiling heat transfer from electronic components by use of surface microstructures

This paper reviews recent advances in enhancing boiling heat transfer from electronic components immersed in dielectric liquids by use of surface microstructures. The microstructures developed include surface roughnesses produced by sandblast, sputtering of SiO₂ layer followed by wet etching of the surface, chemical vapor deposition of SiO₂ layer etc., a brush-like structure (dendritic heat sink), laser-drilled cavities, reentrant cavities, microfins, alumina particle spraying, painting of silver flakes or diamond particles, and heat sink studs with drilled holes, microfins and microchannels, pin fins etc. The primary issues studied are the mitigation of incipience temperature overshoot, enhancement of nucleate boiling heat transfer and increasing the critical heat flux.