Numerical Study of Performance of a Micro Chip Cooler

A three dimensional simulation model of a grooved micro chip cooler was developed to study the performance of the cooler working under steady condition. A comparison among five different physical models was given based on the computational results of temperature and thermal stress. Meanwhile, two different materials, i.e. copper and silicon nitride compound, were introduced to investigate the effect of material on the capability of the cooler. The results indicate that a copper cooler has better cooling capacity though its internal stress is higher than that of a compound one. The cooling capacity is enhanced by splitting the original rectangular channel into two identical smalls. Moreover, the small channels should be arranged in the parallel direction so as to achieve not only a lower temperature but also a lower thermal stress. The thermal stress should be considered in future study.