Design of an optimal heat-sink geometry for forced convection air cooling of Multi-Chip Modules

An assessment is made of the limits to the cooling capability of forced convection air cooling of multi-chip modules. Therefore heat-sinks of different geometries are analysed, using a new design criterion which involves both the effects of heat transfer performance and pressure drop. It is shown that, when pressure drop is taken into account, plate fin heat-sinks have a better cooling performance than offset-strip fin or pin fin heat-sinks. The dimensions of a plate-fin heat-sink are optimized using an analytical model. The optimal plate-fin heat-sink has a cooling performance comparable to what is normally achieved by integral water cooling. To confirm the thermal performance of the optimal plate fin heat-sink, measurements are carried out in a low speed windtunnel.