摘要 |
Thermoelectric coolers are distributed within a semiconductor or an optical chip at anticipated hot spots. Each cooler is responsive to normal operating conditions or to signals from a heat sensor to remove heat from the associated hot spot. In an alternative embodiment, a cooler is placed within the semiconductor package rather than being defined within the chip itself. The closer the cooler to the hot spot, the more efficient the heat removal. As smaller and smaller line width technology leads to denser and denser circuitry, heat removal, already an operation-limiting consideration, will become an increasingly significant issue.
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