Thermal Management in 3-D Integrated Circuits with Graphene Heat Spreaders

In this paper, we performed thermal analysis in three-dimensional (3-D) chip built on silicon-on insulator substrate. Since heat dissipation is one of the most serious issues in 3-D electronics, efficient thermal management is necessary for reliable and efficient circuit operation. 3-D finite element analysis was used to study the feasibility of the use of graphene in thermal management of 3-D integrated circuits. The simulation results showed that the incorporation of graphene heat spreaders lower the maximum temperature of the chip. We calculated the equivalent thermal resistance for different design schemes and found that larger thermal resistance cause higher temperature rise within the chip. The maximum temperature rise of the chip was studied as a function of dissipated power across the channels and interconnects and thermal conductivity of few-layer graphene. The simulation results are important for the thermal management of three-dimensional integrated circuits and next generation electronics.