Research

Engineering Sciences

Title :

A Hybrid Ultra-Thin Vapor Chamber Containing Wettability Patterned Condenser Surface for Thermal Management in Mobile Devices

Area of research :

Engineering Sciences

Focus area :

Thermal Engineering, Microelectronics

Principal Investigator :

Dr. Nagesh Devidas Patil, Indian Institute Of Technology (IIT) Bhilai, Chhattisgarh

Timeline Start Year :

2024

Timeline End Year :

2027

Contact info :

Equipments :

Details

Executive Summary :

India is set to experience significant growth in micro and nanoelectronics, with the country being the second-ranked global market for electronics components. However, thermal management of modern electronic devices remains a challenge due to the increasing number of transistors in chipsets, leading to higher power consumption and heat generation. To address this issue, efficient heat transport devices are needed. Vapor chambers (VCs) have emerged as a potential solution, consisting of an evaporator plate, condenser plate, and wicking material. Conventional VCs have limitations, but opportunities to improve their design and performance are being explored worldwide. A vapor chamber (VC) with wettability-patterned surfaces can provide superior cooling for high-heat flux applications. The condenser side of VCs for thermal management has not been studied in literature. This work proposes a hybrid VC with a biphilic condenser surface, which is hypothesized to improve condensation and liquid mobility. This hybrid VC is hypothesized to offer 150-160% improvement in heat transfer compared to hydrophilic VCs. The biphilic surfaces on Copper/Aluminium will be fabricated using chemical etching/micromachining, and the VC assembly will be developed with other components like an evaporator and wick. The hybrid VC uses interfacial flow and heat transfer to transport heat to the condenser from the evaporator. The biphilic surface also enhances fluid mobility from the condenser through surface energy gradient. Numerical simulations will be performed to optimize the design of the VC. The VC will also be tested for devices like smartphones and tablets, and a hybrid VC will be recommended.

Total Budget (INR):

47,68,192

Organizations involved