Breakthrough for SoC thermal and power management
Nextreme has integrated cooling and power generation into the copper pillar bumping process used in high volume electronic packaging. The breakthrough is claimed to address two industry issues – thermal and power management constraints.
“While the innovation itself is unique, it is the fact that Nextreme has developed the technology to fit into an existing, high volume manufacturing infrastructure that makes the breakthrough truly relevant,” said Nextreme ceo Jesko von Windheim. “By minimising the need for manufacturing changes and focusing on developing a seamless design in solution, Nextreme will change how thermal and power management are implemented in semiconductors in the future.”
Up until now, copper pillar bumps have been used for the electrical and mechanical connection between the device and the outside world. Nextreme’s innovation creates a thermally active copper pillar bump. When a current is passed through the thermal bump, one side cools rapidly relative to the other. Alternatively, when heat passes through the bump, it generates power.
