Pool Boiling Reliability Tests and Degradation Mechanisms of Microporous Copper Inverse Opal (CuIOs) Structures

The rising power density in electronic systems requires thermal management solutions that are both high-performing and reliable. Porous materials such as Copper Inverse Opal (CuIOs) have unique structural features, including high permeability and high thermal conductivity, to enhance pool boiling performance. However, there is little understanding of the degradation mechanism of such porous materials under pool boiling conditions. In this study, samples of 10 μm thick CuIOs with 4.8 μm diameter, covering silicon substrate of area 11 mm × 11 mm, with various heated areas ranging from 2.5 mm × 2.5 mm to 10 mm × 10 mm, were tested in 100 °C deionized water at a constant heat flux of 110 Wcm⁻² for 3-to-7 days. The combined effect of erosion and corrosion caused structural degradation of the CuIOs. The directly heated area had the most severe degradation while the edge of the heater and the unheated area showed progressively less degradation, maintaining some CuIOs structure even after the 7-day reliability test. Among all the tested samples with various heater sizes, the 2.5 mm × 2.5 mm heater sample – in which the heater size was designed to be comparable to the water bubble characteristic length – had the largest critical heat flux (CHF) up to 300 Wcm⁻² with a superheat ~ 13 °C. Additionally, CuIOs with a smaller heated area performed better in terms of reliability. This study offers preliminary insights into CuIOs degradation mechanisms, contributing to the development of more robust thermal management solutions. We expect that electroless plating of CuIOs with gold (Au), nickel (Ni), and atomic layer deposition (ALD) aluminum oxide (Al2O3) in combination with appropriate application-specific coolants will further improve the reliability and lifetime of the CuIOs.