Thin film thermoelectric devices for hot-spot thermal management in microprocessors and other electronics

A structure for controlling a temperature of a heat generating device in a solid medium, comprising:

• at least one heat extraction device configured to be thermally coupled to the medium;
• a heat sink thermally coupled to the heat extraction device and configured to dissipate heat from the heat extraction device into an environment apart from the medium;
• a first thermal interface material configured to thermally couple the heat sink to the medium;
• and
• wherein the heat extraction device comprises a thermoelectric pair having a thermal conduction channel area smaller than an area of a header connecting the thermoelectric pair such that the thermal conduction channel area is a packing fraction of the area of said header, and said packing fraction is less than 50%.

A system comprising:

• a solid medium;
• a heat generating device in the solid medium;
• at least one heat extraction device configured to be thermally coupled to the medium;
• a heat sink thermally coupled to the heat extraction device and configured to dissipate heat from the heat extraction device into an environment apart from the medium;
• and
• a first thermal interface material configured to thermally couple the heat sink to the solid medium wherein the thermal interface material is between the heat sink and the solid medium and wherein the thermal interface material and the heat extraction device are thermally coupled in parallel between the heat sink and the solid medium;
• wherein a first thermal conductance K1 between the heat sink and the heat generating device, including a thermal conductance through the first thermal interface material for a region extending no more than a width of the heat extraction device from a side of the heat extraction device, is less than a second thermal conductance K2 between a base of the heat extraction device against the heat sink and the heat sink.

A system comprising:

• a solid medium;
• a heat generating device in the solid medium;
• at least one heat extraction device configured to be thermally coupled to the medium;
• a heat sink thermally coupled to the heat extraction device and configured to dissipate heat from the heat extraction device into an environment apart from the solid medium;
• and
• at least one of said solid medium and said heat sink include thermal conductance structures that define a first thermal conductance K1 between the heat sink and the heat generating device, including a thermal conductance through a first thermal interface material between the heat generating device and the heat sink for a region extending no more than a width of the heat extraction device from a side of the heat extraction device, which is less than a second thermal conductance K2 between a base of the heat extraction device against the heat sink and the heat sink.

A system for controlling a temperature of a heat generating device in a solid medium, comprising:

• a heat extraction device configured to be thermally coupled to the medium;
• a first heat sink themmily coupled to the heat extraction device and configured to dissipate heat from the heat extraction device into an environment apart from the medium;
• and
• a thermal conductance structure configured in parallel to the heat extraction device to thermally conduct heat from the medium wherein the thermal conductance structure comprises a thermal impedance disposed between a base of the heat extraction device and the medium so as to impede heat flow from the base back into the medium,
• wherein the thermal impedance has a first thermal conductance K1 including a thermal conductance of the first thermal interface material for a region extending no more than a width of the heat extraction device from a side of the heat extraction device is less than a second thermal conductance K2 between a base of the heat extraction device against the first heat sink and the first heat sink.

A system for controlling a temperature of a heat generating device in a solid medium, comprising:

• a heat extraction device configured to be thermally coupled to the medium;
• a first heat sink thermally coupled to the heat extraction device and configured to dissipate heat from the heat extraction device into an environment apart from the medium;
• and
• a thermal conductance structure configured in parallel to the heat extraction device to thermally conduct heat from the medium;
• wherein the heat extraction device comprises a thermoelectric pair having a thermal conduction channel area smaller than an area of a header connecting the thermoelectric pair such that the thermal conduction channel area is a packing fraction of the area of said header, and said packing fraction is less than 50%.