The new research using graphene has been undertaken at Rutgers University. The reason behind it is as electronic devices become smaller and their functionality expands, more power is generated and it becomes more difficult to cool devices down. The loss of heat is not only inefficient it is also holding back some aspects of the development of next-generation electronics. To overcome this, research has been orientated towards different chip-cooling solutions.
One such solution involves the use of graphene. Graphene is a one atom thick form of carbon. Graphene atoms are arranged in a honeycomb like formation. The resultant structure is transparent, very strong and highly conductive and it provides the basis to range of different applications, many of which have been featured in Digital Journal’s science and technology pages.
The new solution deploys graphene combined with a boron nitride crystal substrate. In the right combination this produces an efficient cooling mechanism. In trials the new form of cooling device is twice as efficient as currently used thermoelectric coolers. The reason the new device is very efficient comes down to ‘active cooing’. Here an electrical current carries heat away. This contrasts with passive cooling, which is when heat diffuses naturally. The latter phenomenon hinders the current basis for computer chips, which is silicon dioxide since this material causes electrons to scatter and this lowers the ability to actively drive heat away.
The devices are very flat and smooth, which means they are suitable for most types of electronic devices. Discussing the application, lead researcher Professor Eva Y. Andrei stated: “You can fit graphene, a very thin, two-dimensional material that can be miniaturized, to cool a hot spot that creates heating problems in your chip. This solution doesn’t have moving parts and it’s quite efficient for cooling.”
The research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The research paper is called “High thermoelectricpower factor in graphene/hBN devices.”
