# US 11,909,449 B1 · Liquid powered and cooled microfluidics photonics architecture > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,909,449 B1 - Document ID: US11909449B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 18/204,052 - Filed: 2023-05-31 - Granted: 2024-02-20 - Earliest claimed: 2023-05-31 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Vaidehi Oruganti; Bharath Ramakrishnan; Husam Atallah Alissa; Christian L. Belady - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11909449B1 ## CPC - H04B 10/501: {Structural aspects} - H04B 10/808: {Electrical power feeding of an optical transmission system} - G06F 1/189: {Power distribution} - G06F 1/20: Cooling means - H01M 8/0256: Vias, i.e. connectors passing through the separator material - H01M 8/04007: related to heat exchange - H01M 8/04276: Arrangements for managing the electrolyte stream, e.g. heat exchange - H01M 8/1097: Fuel cells applied on a support, e.g. miniature fuel cells deposited on silica supports - H01M 8/188: {by recharging of redox couples containing fluids; Redox flow type batteries} - H01M 8/2455: with liquid, solid or electrolyte-charged reactants - H01M 2250/00: Fuel cells for particular applications; Specific features of fuel cell system - H04B: TRANSMISSION - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H01M: PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY ## Abstract An electronic device includes a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface; a photonic transmitter supported by the first surface of the substrate; a photonic receiver supported by the first surface of the substrate; a microfluidic volume positioned in the second surface of the substrate; a waveguide positioned to direct photonic signal from the photonic transmitter to the photonic receiver, wherein at least a portion of the waveguide is positioned between the first surface of the substrate and at least a portion of the microfluidic volume; and a working fluid in the microfluidic volume to receive heat from the waveguide. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A device comprising: a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface; at least one of a photonic transmitter supported by the first surface of the substrate and a photonic receiver supported by the first surface of the substrate; a microfluidic volume positioned in the second surface of the substrate; a waveguide positioned to direct photonic signal from the photonic transmitter to the photonic receiver, wherein at least a portion of the waveguide is positioned between the first surface of the substrate and at least a portion of the microfluidic volume; and a working fluid in the microfluidic volume to receive heat from the waveguide. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide contacts the microfluidic volume. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the working fluid is an electrochemical fluid. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the photonic transmitter and the photonic receiver are part of a single die. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is embedded in the substrate with substrate material between waveguide and the first surface and the opposite second surface. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide is a silica glass. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein a wall between the waveguide and the microfluidic volume is no more than 250 micrometers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device of claim 1, wherein the waveguide provides photonic communication to a lateral surface of the substrate. ### Claim 9 A device comprising: a substrate having a first surface and an opposite second surface; an electrical load supported by the first surface of the substrate; at least one of a photonic transmitter supported by the first surface of the substrate and a photonic receiver supported by the first surface of the substrate; a microfluidic volume positioned in the second surface of the substrate; a waveguide positioned to direct photonic signal from the photonic transmitter to the photonic receiver, wherein at least a portion of the waveguide is positioned between the first surface of the substrate and at least a portion of the microfluidic volume; a first electrode positioned in the microfluidic volume; a second electrode positioned in the microfluidic volume; a first through silicon via (TSV) connecting the first electrode to the electrical load; a second TSV connecting the second electrode to the electrical load; and an electrochemical fluid positioned in the microfluidic volume to provide electrical power to the electrical load and receive heat from the electrical load and waveguide. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the electrical load is the photonic transmitter. ### Claim 11 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the electrical load is the photonic receiver. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, wherein the electrical load is a processor. ### Claim 13 (depends on 9) The device of claim 9, further comprising: an ion-transfer membrane in the microfluidic volume and the ion-transfer membrane separates part of the microfluidic volume into a first portion and a second portion, wherein the electrochemical fluid is a first electrochemical fluid in the first portion of the microfluidic volume and the device further comprises a second electrochemical fluid in the second portion. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The device of claim 13, wherein the first electrochemical fluid is an anolyte. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The device of claim 14, wherein the second electrochemical fluid is a catholyte. ### Claim 16 A method of powering and cooling a photonics in an electronic device, the method comprising: receiving a photonic signal in a waveguide, wherein the waveguide is located in a substrate with at least a first vertical portion of the substrate on a first side of the waveguide and a second vertical portion of the substrate on a second side of the waveguide; flowing a working fluid through a microfluidic volume of the substrate proximate the waveguide; receiving heat generated by the photonic signal in the waveguide with the working fluid to create hot working fluid; exhausting the heat from the working fluid to create cold working fluid; and recirculating the cold working fluid into the substrate. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the working fluid is an electrochemical fluid, and further comprising: discharging the electrochemical fluid in an electrochemical chamber of the substrate. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising: recharging the electrochemical fluid before recirculating the cold working fluid into the substrate. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein discharging the electrochemical fluid powers a photonic transmitter. ### Claim 20 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the photonic signal is received through a photonic connector of the substrate.