A team of researchers at the University of California in the USA has developed a method that makes it possible to control the propagation of heat spikes on a chip. A revolutionary process that could make it possible to improve the performance of transistors and reuse the heat they release.
This will also interest you
[EN VIDÉO] Kézako: The amazing functionality of RFID chips RFID chips (Radio Frequency IDentification in English for radio frequency identification) are becoming increasingly popular…
Things get really hot on the chip side and that's nothing new. Since the revolution with the introduction of electrical transistors in 1947, the problem of the heat they give off remains a real problem and, despite advances in miniaturization, represents a waste of energy. So when the hot spots have become microscopic, their temperature can be that of the nozzles of a rocket. And this heat is useless because it is not reused. For example, more than 50% of the energy used in a data center is used just to cool the systems. To solve this “heating” problem, many scientists are looking for solutions. The method developed by Yongjie Hu and his team at the University of California in Los Angeles (USA) seems promising. In their paper published in the journal Science, the thermal transistor they developed and tested is equipped with a process that allows precise control of the chip's heat. How ? By relying on a nanoscale electrode. This creates an electric field to precisely control and redirect the flow of heat.
Reuse heat from transistors instead of wasting it
Similar to a classic electrical transistor, this device has two terminals between which heat circulates. A third is used to control the airflow to dynamically redirect it to specific areas. The thermal conductivity is then changed and this allows for more precise control of heat dissipation. Ultimately, the researchers measured a reduction in temperature peaks by 1,300% in their experiments. Better yet, by controlling this diffusion it is possible to recover the heat and reuse it efficiently. Therefore, the laboratory is working with oncologists to find out whether these thermal transistors could be used to treat cancer through so-called “hyperthermia therapy”. It uses magnetic particles that target cancer cells and destroy them by generating intense heat. With its flow control method, the laboratory could improve the efficiency of this type of treatment.