[tt] IBM goes 3D

[Donald P. Martin]

IBM aims to cool chips with water 

A network of tiny pipes of water could be used to cool next-generation PC
chips, researchers at IBM have said. 

Scientists at the firm have shown off a prototype device layered with
thousands of "hair-width" cooling arteries. 

They believe it could be a solution to the increasing amount of heat pumped
out by chips as they become smaller and more densely packed with components.


The technology was demonstrated in IBM's 3D chips, where circuits are
stacked one on top of the other. 

Laying chips vertically, instead of side by side, reduces the distance data
has to travel , enhancing performance and saving critical space. 

"As we package chips on top of each other....we have found that conventional
coolers attached to the back of a chip don't scale," explained Thomas
Brunschwiler at IBM's Zurich Research Laboratory. 

"In order to exploit the potential of high-performance 3D chip stacking, we
need interlayer cooling." 

 

For the report, go to 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7439406.stm  

 

 

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