Abstract

Conventional packaging materials have difficulty dealing with thermal management problems due to high power densities. However, it is possible to combine both active and passive cooling by using thin film thermoelectric coolers and diamond substrates for the temperature control of these high density electronic circuits. The highest power components would be mounted directly onto thin film thermoelectric elements, which would maintain the temperature of these components from a few degrees to tens of degrees below that of the diamond substrate. This allows these components to operate within their required temperature range, effectively manage temperature spikes and junction temperatures, and increase clockspeed. To maximize the efficiency of the thermoelectric cooler, diamond films acting as thermal lenses would be used to spread the heat from the small power device to the larger coolers.

© 1995 Optical Society of America