Numerical study on hybrid discontinuous microchannel heat sink combining manifold with pin fins (DMC-MPF) for high power electronic device

Driven by the wider application of the new generation of wide-bandgap materials, thermal management for high power electronic devices is becoming a growing concern. Microfluidic cooling technology is considered a promising technology to overcome the thermal challenge because it allows for more efficient heat dissipation due to the powerful heat convection of the liquid. In this paper, by employing a numerical study, a hybrid discontinuous microchannel heat sink combining manifold with pin fins (DMC-MPF) is proposed. Compared to the traditional design, the DMC-MPF enhances heat transfer and reduces flow resistance especially when the thermal conductivity of the microchannel is low. In particular, for a 2 × 2 mm
²
chip at a pressure drop of 50 kPa, the thermal resistance can reach to 0.04°C‧cm
²
/W. Compared to the original design, when the thermal conductivity of the microchannel is 2 W/m‧K and the heat flux at 1500 W/cm
²
, the DMC-MPF can reduce the maximum temperature by 50 % and improve the temperature uniformity significantly. This work provides a very promising and efficient single-phase microchannel cooling scheme used in the thermal management of RF electronics with high heat flux.