ABSTRACT
Many powerful electronic devices along with executing their peculiar functions act as high-density heat sources. Such are microprocessors (CPUs), semiconductor diodes and lasers, power ampli›ers, and other intensive electronics. še CPU is the most typical representative of this family. šis is a mainstream device in the present world, which is installed today in almost all modern instruments. še trend to increase processor performance leads to the permanent increase in the circuit integration, accompanied with the growth of chip power. šis process is observed during past 30 years, and it will be continued in this century. Figure 18.1 shows the trend of the electrical power consumption in a CPU chip. It is seen that CPU power doubles every two years due to doubling of transistors in accordance with Moore’s Law. šis is why the thermal management of modern CPUs becomes a vital issue.
