Design and analysis: Thermal emulator cubes for opto-electronic stacked processor

3D finite element modeling of thermal emulator cube and its composition consisting of composite stack of multi-layer chip are developed. Thermal analysis of the Multi-Chip Module consisting of 16 alternate layers Si processor and heat sink layers with Si spacers and AlN ceramic cap is undertaken. The various alternatives for design of the emulator cubes such as thermal cube floating in free-space, thermal cube-on-substrate, thermal cube-on-flex cable with a continuous joint of solder and thermal cube embedded in rectangular Si-spacer are investigated for their heat extraction capability. Thermal modeling of a composite structural unit stack of chip offers first hand information as to the operating performance of the entire thermal emulator cube to be used in the construction of buffer cube. The scientific understanding of the mode of heat transfer of the emulator cube, heat extraction of the various heat sink materials, ceramic and the metallic substrates are investigated. A thin sheet of ceramic (AlN) substrate is at least three times more effective in extraction of heat than thick block of steel under similar conditions. The homogeneous and heterogeneous nature of the composite structure of thermal emulator in heat transfer is analyzed. The primary and secondary hotspots in thermal cubes with AlN heat sink are found in thermal simulations. The mode of heat transfer advances normal to lateral and transverse directions of stacking from the central core of the cube towards the outward face. The sharp corners of the cube typically exhibit edge convection due to chilling effect. Buffer-on-flex cable is modeled with a continuous solder joint and its further improvement with alternate hinges of solder joints and micro-channels is proposed for enhanced heat transfer analysis. The embedded emulator cubes are developed for thermal analysis of the optical layers on top of buffer. The optical layers with an interconnection of solder joints on top of the embedded emulator cubes coupled with micro-channels and hinged solder joints will be used for further enhanced heat transfer and higher dissipation of heat (1 ∼ 3 W/layer) resulting in efficient and cost effective thermal management technique.