TSV-constrained micro-channel infrastructure design for cooling stacked 3D-ICs

Micro-channel based liquid cooling has significant capability of removing high density heat in 3D-ICs. The conventional micro-channel structures investigated for cooling 3D-ICs use straight channels. However, the presence of TSVs which form obstacles to the micro-channels prevents distribution of straight micro-channels. In this paper, we investigate the methodology of designing TSV-constrained micro-channel infrastructure. Specifically, we decide the locations and geometry of micro-channels with bended structure so that the cooling effectiveness is maximized. Our micro-channel structure could achieve up to 87% pumping power savings compared with the structure using straight micro-channels.