Overview of Solid-State Thermoelectric Refrigerators and Possible Applications to On-Chip Thermal Management

The concept of thermal management in microelectronic components is changing, and so is the potential for solid-state cooling to solve emerging problems. There is a qualitative change that differentiates the past from the future. We discuss past practices and future trends in the electronic cooling markets, setting the stage for an outline of designs and processes that provide new and enabling options. We briefly review the science that is empowering these changes, and conclude with some thoughts on the future direction of thermal management of microelectronics