Collaborative Research: Energy Efficient Thermal Design of Heterogeneous System with Active Cooling

Georgia Tech Research Corporation, Atlanta GA

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this research is to make major advances in the energy-efficient thermal design of heterogeneous systems by enabling thermo-electric-based active cooling for efficient control of on-chip thermal field to manage and eliminate hotspots and minimize spatiotemporal thermal gradients. The approach is centered on a holistic modeling and 3D simulation framework that strongly couples the sensor design, dynamic control principles, thermo-fluidics model, and device optimization model. Intellectual Merit: The research integrates techniques from electronic devices, thermal physics, and solid state cooling for the development of a physics-based integrated 3D framework. This integrated framework will develop distributed sensor-driven, real-time feedback methods to activate on demand active cooling on chip and establish guiding principles for eliminating the bottlenecks of active cooling in 3D heterogeneous system. The research will lead to optimized thermoelectric device properties and develop system-level sensing and control principles for enabling efficient active cooling in a heterogeneous system. Broader Impacts: The sensing and control methods for active cooling on chip and assisted device optimization methods are expected to have a transformative impact on the development of energy-efficient electronic systems and software tool chains. The research will integrate education through graduate course development and preparation of a model tutorial on 'Hot spot management,' which will be posted on nanoHUB.org. Undergraduate students will be advised through the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program and the Discovery Park Undergraduate Research Internship program. Participation in Facilitating Academic Careers in Engineering and Science for African-American students and Summer Undergraduate Research Experience for minorities will facilitate involvement of underrepresented minorities in the research program.