Performance evaluation of MEMS heat sinks having straight microchannels integrating rectangular sidewall cavities in in-line pattern
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2025
Abstract
This work details a silicon-based MEMS heat sink having straight microchannels integrating rectangular sidewall cavities in in-line pattern and employing water for thermal management of microelectronic chips. Simulation-based studies are done for Reynolds number (Re) between 100 and 750 and the model is validated. The thermal resistance (R-th,R-total) and pumping power (PPf), of the proposed MEMS heat sink, are lower than that of the conventional MEMS heat sink. At the largest Re, the R-th,R-total of the proposed MEMS heat sink is only similar to 78 % of the R-th,R-total of the conventional MEMS heat sink and PPf of the former is only similar to 91 % of the latter. Moreover, the Nusselt number (Nu) and Poiseuille number (Po) of the straight microchannel integrating rectangular sidewall cavities is higher and lower than that of the straight microchannel, respectively. With the increase in Re, the Nu of the proposed MEMS heat sink in comparison with that of a conventional MEMS heat sink varied from similar to 103 % to similar to 147 % while the Po of the former in comparison with the latter varied from similar to 81 % to similar to 91 %. There exists a threshold for the length of the sidewall cavities below which the performance of the proposed MEMS heat sink is not influenced by the same. Above this threshold, increase in length decreases, for a specific Re, both R-th,R-total and PPc as well as increases and decreases the Nu and Po, respectively. Increase in Re leads to reduction of R-th,R-total and increase of Nu with decrease in the width of the sidewall cavities; both PPf and Po increase with increase in Re though the influence of width of sidewall cavities on them is negligible. The increase in the number of sidewall cavities decreases R-th,R-total and PPf while increasing and decreasing the Nu and Po, respectively. The increase in hydraulic diameter decreases both R-th,R-total and PPf while increasing both Nu and Po.
Keywords
Heat sink, Microchannels, Nusselt number, Pumping power, Poiseuille number, Thermal resistance
Divisions
mechanical
Funders
National Water and Energy Center of United Arab Emirates University [Grant No: 12R132]
Publication Title
Applied Thermal Engineering
Volume
266
Publisher
Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd
Publisher Location
THE BOULEVARD, LANGFORD LANE, KIDLINGTON, OXFORD OX5 1GB, ENGLAND