Optimization of Microscale Thermoelectric Cooling (TEC) Element Dimensions for Hotspot Cooling Applications

Abstract

Microscale thermoelectric cooling elements (TECs) are being proposed to cool down an integrated circuit to maintain its performance. The maximum cooling power of microscale TECs is significantly reduced by the interfacial resistance. For our particular application, we calculate the optimal dimension of the TECs, made of Bi₂Te₃, that reduce the temperature at a hotspot on an IC chip by 10°C. By the one-dimensional analytical model that we developed and numerical solutions of TEC equations using MATLAB^©, we obtain performance characteristics that relate the cooling power density to other control variables and material constants. The optimal dimension of microscale TECs is calculated for cooling at a hotspot region by a range of temperature differences, for example from 10°C to 50°C. Further, the percentage change in the optimal thickness for various thermal resistances and electrical contact resistances can be predicted. These results act as a good guideline for two-dimensional analysis and assembly of TECs.