#Nano-Coating Cools #Semiconductors Four Times Faster

Heat has become the number one problem in advancing semiconductor chips to smaller sizes and higher speeds, but nanotechnology may hold the key to a solution. Look for nano-coatings for heat sinks and other more advanced cooling systems within three years. R.C.J.


Nanoscale coatings could boost the efficiency with which heat can be removed from semiconductors and other devices, according to an Army Research Laboratory funded study by researchers at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Oregon State University (OSU). The nanoscale coating method, dubbed microreactor assisted nanomaterial deposition (MAND), deposited tiny grains of zinc oxide atop bulk aluminum and copper. As a result of the nanostructured coatings, heat was transfered far more efficiently. The researchers claim that their coating techniques will help in the cooling for advanced lasers, radars, and power electronics devices in applications including high performance computers, advanced military avionics, electric vehicles and energy recovery systems...
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