Multiscale thermo-mechanical coupling in chip systems: a review

As chip technologies move towards higher power density, greater integration and more extreme operating environments, thermal management has become inseparable from mechanical reliability. In such systems, heat transport, structural evolution and damage accumulation are strongly coupled from atomistic lattice dynamics to system-level heat-flow interaction. Here we review recent progress in understanding multiscale thermo-mechanical coupling in chip systems. We outline the roles of atom-level defects, bonding and crystal symmetry in intrinsic thermal transport, the effects of microstructural heterogeneity and interfaces on heat-flow continuity and stress localization, and the impact of device- and system-level architectural complexity on hot-spot formation, thermal mismatch, and reliability degradation. We then examine the coupled degradation induced by high-temperature operation, including creep, delamination, fatigue and warpage, and summarize regulation strategies based on defect engineering, interface optimization, package design, advanced cooling and adaptive control. Finally, we highlight emerging AI-assisted approaches for multiscale correlated materials screening, thermal prediction and inverse design, and identify the key challenges that must be addressed to enable predictive thermal management in next-generation chip systems.