Cooling with microwave excited micro-plasma and ions

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention uses an actuator, which is actuated by electromagnetic microwave. The actuator is used to generate the micro-plasma and ions. The configurations of actuators may be microstrip lines structure, stripline structure, piping structure, multiplayer traces and electrodes structure, waveguide structure, and cavity structure. The generated micro-plasma and ions will induce a local turbulent gas flow and the flow is to carry the heat away from the surfaces of the heat sink fins. The actuators may be coupled to heat sink fins, heat transferring pipes, cooling fans, and heat sources in varied configurations.

1 . A method and apparatus for cooling electronic devices, comprising:
 a microwave excited micro-plasma and ions actuator coupled with cooling heat sink fins assembly to cool down heat sources;   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator involves using an inner cylinder and an outer cylinder, a micro-strip structure, a stripline structure, embedded conductive traces and electrodes, a wave-guide structure, and a cavity structure for the electromagnetic microwave to pass through to ionize the gas; 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuators are populated in an array to couple with heat sink fins assembly; 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuators are coupled to a heat sink fins assembly at the inlet, at the outlet, at the top, at the bottom, and in the middle of the heat sink fins assembly, to ionize the air; 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat sink fins assembly comprising straight fins, pin fins, and irregular shapes fins structure; 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuators comprising conductive traces on one side of the dielectric layer, and ground layer on the other side of the dielectric layer; and multiplayer structure which have openings for microwave to generate micro-plasma and ions; 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuators comprising openings on the conductive layers, on the wave guide structures, and on the cavity structures; wherein the openings are locations for electromagnetic microwave to ionize the air to induce the ion driven turbulent gas flow; 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuators are operable to couple with a fan, a heat pipe, a heat source, and a heat sink fins assembly to generate the micro-plasma and ions; 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the actuators may be made in a micron scale, a nano meter scale, and a bulk scale; 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , the actuators may be coupled to a heat sink fins structure, and the actuators may be directly manufactured on a silicon chip structure; and the actuators may be manufactured with micro-electro-mechanical wafer processing techniques; 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the heat source may be a microprocessor, an ASIC chip, a video processor chip, a graphic processor chip, an electronic IC chip, and a power supplier.