Beyond the datasheet: New connectors for liquid cooling
Solid-state circuits have moving parts; electrons and holes carry current through and between transistors. That movement generates heat locally at the transistor junctions where the electrons and holes meet. Liquid can remove heat more effectively than air, but neither can come in direct contact with the junctions, so the heat needs to first travel through the integrated circuit packaging.
Thanks to physics and good design, heat likes to move to cooler regions, which are normally external surfaces. Once there, it can move to another medium, such as air or liquid. Removing heat fast enough to keep the junctions within their operating limits is critical. Liquid is a more efficient medium than air, but mixing liquid and electronics comes with complications.
Read the latest issue of What’s Next to understand what’s beyond the datasheet.
