Method and apparatus for optimizing thermal management system performance using full-chip thermal analysis of semiconductor chip designs

Abstract

A method and apparatus for optimizing cooling system performance using full-chip thermal analysis of semiconductor chip designs is provided. One embodiment of a novel method for optimizing the cooling of an electronic system incorporating at least one semiconductor chip includes receiving full-chip temperature data for the semiconductor chip(s) and configuring the cooling system for dissipating heat from the electronic system in accordance with the full-chip temperature data.

1 . A method for optimizing thermal management of an electronic system, the method comprising:
 receiving full-chip temperature data for a semiconductor chip incorporated in said electronic system;   configuring one or more thermal management resources of a thermal management system in accordance with said full-chip temperature data; and   wherein said full-chip temperature data comprises a model of a thermal gradient over said semiconductor chip in operation.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said model comprises a three-dimensional thermal model of said semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 computing said full-chip temperature data.   
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said computing is performed via a transient analysis. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein said computing is performed in accordance with a package of the semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said configuring comprises:
 adjusting a design of said package.   
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein said adjusting provides additional cooling to at least a portion of said semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said computing is performed in further accordance with a heat sink coupled to said package. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein said configuring comprises:
 adjusting a design of said heat sink.   
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said configuring is performed in further accordance with full-chip temperature data for another semiconductor chip mounted in a package with said semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 computing said full-chip temperature data for said semiconductor chip in accordance with said package.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 computing said full-chip temperature data for said semiconductor chip in accordance with said another semiconductor chip.   
   
   
       13 . A computer readable medium containing an executable program for optimizing thermal management of an electronic system, where the program performs the steps of:
 receiving full-chip temperature data for a semiconductor chip incorporated in said electronic system;   configuring one or more thermal management resources of a thermal management system in accordance with said full-chip temperature data; an   wherein said full-chip temperature data comprises a model of a thermal gradient over said semiconductor chip in operation.   
   
   
       14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said model comprises a three-dimensional thermal model of said semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 computing said full-chip temperature data.   
   
   
       16 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein said computing is performed via a transient analysis. 
   
   
       17 . The computer readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein said computing is performed in accordance with a package of the semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       18 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said configuring comprises:
 adjusting a design of said package.   
   
   
       19 . The computer readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein said adjusting provides additional cooling to at least a portion of said semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       20 . The computer readable medium of  claim 17 , wherein said computing is performed in further accordance with a heat sink coupled to said package. 
   
   
       21 . The computer readable medium of  claim 20 , wherein said configuring comprises:
 adjusting a design of said heat sink.   
   
   
       22 . The computer readable medium of  claim 13 , wherein said configuring is performed in further accordance with full-chip temperature data for another semiconductor chip mounted in a package with said semiconductor chip. 
   
   
       23 . The computer readable medium of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 computing said full-chip temperature data for said semiconductor chip in accordance with said package.   
   
   
       24 . The computer readable medium of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 computing said full-chip temperature data for said semiconductor chip in accordance with said another semiconductor chip.   
   
   
       25 . Apparatus for optimizing thermal management of an electronic system, the apparatus comprising:
 means for receiving full-chip temperature data for a semiconductor chip incorporated in said electronic system;   means for configuring one or more thermal management resources of a thermal management system in accordance with said full-chip temperature data; and   means for wherein said full-chip temperature data comprises a model of a thermal gradient over said semiconductor chip in operation.