PLANAR MICRO HEAT PIPES FOR MICROELECTRONICS Sandia National Laboratories has developed a new type of heat pipe that matches well with microelectronics heat management challenges. The heat pipe structures can be made from a variety of materials including silicon and Kovar and have been demonstrated to dissipate heat fluxes in excess of 10 watts/cm2. The wick structures within the heat pipe have increased fluid flow capabilities due to their unique design yet are readily manufacturable with common processes such as reactive ion beam etching and electroplating. Heat pipes transfer heat from a hot surface to a cold surface by a closed vaporization/condensation cycle within the heat pipe. The hot side causes the working fluid within the heat pipe to vaporize. The gas then travels to the cold side of the heat pipe where it condenses. The condensed liquid then flows back to the hot side, mainly through the action of capillary forces within the wick structure of the heat pipe, and the cycle repeats itself. Sandia's micro heat pipe employs very small scale features ( down to 10 microns) and novel designs to increase the capillary flow significantly and thereby increase the effectiveness of the device. Unlike traditional heat pipes which are often long tubular structures with the hot/cold surfaces at the ends of the tube, Sandia's heat pipe is a planar structure with a very large hot/cold surface area relative to its thickness. Its first application has been to cooling high power microprocessors, but many other electronic and photonic applications are foreseen. The Sandia micro heat pipe is covered by one pending patent application, in which several claims have been indicated as allowable, and several more patent applications that are currently in preparation for filing. Sandia is making the micro heat pipe technology available to companies interested in partnering with Sandia to optimize the heat pipe design to fit their products for the benefit of the U.S. economy. This partnering can take the form of cooperative research efforts with Sandia and licensing of the intellectual property on terms up to and including exclusive licenses in applicable fields of use. For further information, please respond by mail or fax to Joanne Trujillo not later than November 3, 1997, at: Sandia National Laboratories, MS 1380, P.O. Box 5800, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87185-1380. FAX: 505-843-4163. Please indicate the date and title of this CBD notice and the type of partnering agreements your company would be most interested in pursuing with Sandia. E-MAIL: Joanne Trujillo, jmtruji@sandia.gov.

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