Tunable Thermal Emitters Based on Femtosecond Laser Structured SiC for High Power Chip Heat Dissipation

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Thermal Engineering

Background:

• Efficient thermal management is critical for high-power devices in next-generation information technology.
• Wide-bandgap semiconductor materials like silicon carbide (SiC) are key, but their intrinsic properties limit thermal emission.
• The reststrahlen band in SiC restricts its thermal emission within the atmospheric window, hindering efficient heat dissipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To overcome the limitations of SiC's intrinsic thermal emission.
• To develop a method for controllable spectral modulation of SiC for enhanced thermal management.
• To demonstrate the application of tunable thermal emitters for effective heat dissipation in electronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of tunable thermal emitters on SiC substrates.
• Utilizing femtosecond laser hybrid technology for precise surface structuring.
• Characterization of thermal emission properties in the infrared spectrum.

Main Results:

• Achieved a high emissivity of 97.4% in the 2.5-16 μm range.
• Demonstrated a proof-of-concept for chip heat dissipation, reducing temperature by 6.6 °C.
• Successfully modulated the spectral properties of SiC for enhanced thermal radiation.

Conclusions:

• Femtosecond laser hybrid technology enables tunable thermal emitters on SiC.
• This approach offers a novel strategy for thermal radiation regulation in wide-bandgap semiconductors.
• The developed thermal emitters show significant potential for improving heat dissipation in advanced electronic chips.