Electronic Chip with Microfluidic Cooling System

(EPFL, September 10, 2020)

In an effort to solve the issue of how to cool electronic devices, a team of EPFL researchers, led by Professor Elison Matioli and his doctoral student Remco van Erp, recently created a semiconductor chip that combines a transistor and microfluidic cooling system. To achieve this, the researchers placed microfluidic channels in close proximity to the transistor’s hot spots, thereby allowing a cooling liquid – in this case deionized water – to flow inside the chip and efficiently manage the large heat fluxes generated by the transistors. According to Matioli, this novel cooling technology will therefore enable them to “make electronic devices even more compact and could considerably reduce energy consumption around the world.” The team is currently looking at how to manage heat in other devices, such as lasers and communications systems.