A microelectronic structure for basic heat transfer studies

A test structure for making basic heat transfer measurements with materials and fluids of interest in electronic packaging has been fabricated using monolithic integrated circuit processes. By using a silicon wafer as a thermal test section, the heater element can be placed in close thermal contact with the fluid of interest. The cooled surface may then be coated with thin films of carious materials important to multichip electronic packaging, including silicon, silicon dioxide, silicon nitride, various metals, and diamond. The structure will be particularly useful in characterizing heat transfer for both liquid immersion and jet impingement modes of cooling. The thermal test section is being used to characterize a number of potential electronic coolants including F-12, F-22, R-134A, and FC-72.<>