Three-dimensional Manifold Microchannel Integrated Heat Sink for High-performance Computing Chips

Generative AI, exemplified by ChatGPT, places heightened demands on the computational power of high-performance computing (HPC) chips, leading to an increase in power consumption. Conventional indirect cooling is limited by two layers of high thermal resistance thermal interface material (TIM), which drastically reduces thermal conduct efficiency. Direct Liquid Cooling (DLC) integrates a microfluidic cooling structure with the package lid and reduces the TIM to a single layer, providing a solution that balances performance and reliability. In this work, we proposed a three-dimensional integrated heat sink (3DIHS) along with an optimized TIM assembly process. The results show that the junction-environment thermal resistance is reduced to 0.31 K/W through process and design optimization. Also, it was implemented on a commercial FPGA device, enabling operation at maximum power levels of 56W with a temperature rise of only 20°C. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed 3DIHS in managing high heat fluxes in HPC chips.