CMOS Compatible Microchannel Heat Sink for Electronic Cooling and Its Fabrication

Abstract

The present invention is a CMOS compatible polymer microchannel heat sink for electronic cooling applications. The heat sink can be fabricated directly on the chip surface with an insulation layer by standard polymer surface micromachining techniques. The heat sink device comprises a thin insulation layer on the chip surface, a thin-film metal layer as bottom surface, metal side walls, and a polymer top wall over the microchannels and inlet-outlet reservoirs.

1 - 5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 . A method of fabricating microchannel heat sink for electronic cooling applications with liquid, nanofluid and gas, the method comprising the steps of: electroplating a plurality of microchannel side walls on a thin-film metal seed layer between a sacrificial photoresist layer; removing the sacrificial photoresist layer by acetone-IPA-methanol release; wherein the sacrificial photoresist layer and the plurality of microchannel side walls are covered with a polymer top wall before the sacrificial photoresist layer is removed by acetone-IPA-methanol release. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising: coating a plurality of thin polymer layers on the inner surface of the plurality of microchannels, including the metal surface on the polymer top wall after the sacrificial photoresist layer is removed by acetone-IPA-methanol release. 
     
     
         8 . A micro-channel heat sink comprising: a plurality of metal side walls; a thin-film metal seed layer; a plurality of sacrificial photoresist layers; and a polymer top wall; wherein the plurality of photoresist layers and the plurality of metal side walls are covered by the polymer top wall. 
     
     
         9 . The micro-channel heat sink of  claim 8  wherein the inner surface of the micro-channels including the metal surface on the micro-channel side walls metal seed layer and polymer top wall are coated with thin polymer layers. 
     
     
         10 . The micro-channel heat sink of  claim 8  wherein cooling is supplied by circulation of a fluid through micro-channels. 
     
     
         11 . The micro-channel heat sink of  claim 8  wherein a cooling material is selected from a group consisting of liquid, nanofluid and gas.