Integrated circuit barrierless microfluidic channel

An integrated circuit chip having a continuous cooling channel extending through back end of the line (BEOL) of the chip comprising:

• a pair of vertical channel openings extending through two or more dielectric layers in the back end of line of the chip, wherein each vertical channel opening has a bottom and a top;
• a horizontal channel opening connecting the pair of vertical channel openings at their bottoms;
• and
• a barrier layer having a vertical portion on a sidewall of each of the vertical channel openings and a horizontal portion,
• wherein the horizontal portion of the barrier layer extends laterally into each of the vertical channel openings at a location where the dielectric layers meet, and
• wherein the horizontal portion extends only partially into the vertical channel opening such that a sidewall of the horizontal portion of the barrier layer is exposed;
• a pair of plugs at the top of the pair of vertical channel openings;
• and
• an electrical interconnect located adjacent to the channel opening, wherein the electrical interconnect includes one or more layers of a conductive material.