Abstract: A biological indicator with variable resistance may be controlled by moving a cap or housing of the biological indicator to cause the size of vents that allow flow of sterilant through the housing to decrease or increase in effective size. An indicator window may show a user the current resistance of the biological indicator, and may also show a readable indicator that may be captured by a scanner to allow a sterilizing cabinet to identify the current resistance. When the level of resistance shown by the readable indicator is not compatible with a sterilization cycle selected by a user, the procedure may be delayed and a notification provided to the user that a problem exists. The readable indicator may be a passive tag with a memory that allows information to be read and written, so that the biological indicator may carry data from one device to another.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is made of a semiconductor substrate, a heat generating component in a layer thereof, and a body within the remaining semiconductor substrate. The body is made of materials which have a high thermal inertia and/or thermal conductivity. When high thermal conductivity materials are used, the body acts to transfer the heat away from the substrate to a heat sink.

Abstract: An electronic alarm clock connected to one or more networks comprises: a network communications device, wherein the network device receives content from the networks; a touch screen; one or more speakers; and a local storage device, wherein a clock function is provided, wherein an alarm function is provided that plays user specified content at a user specified time on said screen and the speakers, and wherein a physical button is disposed on the clock to manage the alarm function during an alarm.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing two-phase heat transfer for semiconductor devices includes a vapor chamber configured to carry a cooling liquid, the vapor chamber having a base section, and a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) shaped members. The plurality of 3D-shaped members have interior and exterior sidewalls, the 3D-shaped members being connected to the base section so that vapor carrying latent heat can reach the respective interior sidewalls and get transferred to the respective exterior sidewalls configured to be in contact with an external coolant. The vapor chamber is configured to be in contact with a semiconductor device in order to remove heat therefrom.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing two-phase heat transfer for semiconductor devices includes a vapor chamber configured to carry a cooling liquid, the vapor chamber having base section, and a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) shaped members. The plurality of 3D-shaped members have interior and exterior sidewalls, the 3D-shaped members being connected to the base section so that vapor carrying latent heat can reach the respective interior sidewalls and get transferred to the respective exterior sidewalls configured to be in contact with an external coolant. The vapor chamber is configured to be in contact with a semiconductor device in order to remove heat therefrom.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is made of a semiconductor substrate, a heat generating component in a layer thereof, and a body within the remaining semiconductor substrate. The body is made of materials which have a high thermal inertia and/or thermal conductivity. When high thermal conductivity materials are used, the body acts to transfer the heat away from the substrate to a heat sink.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is made of a semiconductor substrate, a heat generating component in a layer thereof, and a body within the remaining semiconductor substrate. The body is made of materials which have a high thermal inertia and/or thermal conductivity. When high thermal conductivity materials are used, the body acts to transfer the heat away from the substrate to a heat sink.

Abstract: An apparatus for providing two-phase heat transfer for semiconductor devices includes a vapor chamber configured to carry a cooling liquid, the vapor chamber having base section, and a plurality of three-dimensional (3D) shaped members. The plurality of 3D-shaped members have interior and exterior sidewalls, the 3D-shaped members being connected to the base section so that vapor carrying latent heat can reach the respective interior sidewalls and get transferred to the respective exterior sidewalls configured to be in contact with an external coolant. The vapor chamber is configured to be in contact with a semiconductor device in order to remove heat therefrom.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for integrating microchannel cooling modules within high-density electronic modules (e.g., chip packages, system-on-a-package modules, etc.,) comprising multiple high-performance IC chips. Electronic modules are designed such that high-performance (high power) IC chips are disposed in close proximity to the integrated cooling module (or cooling plate) for effective heat extraction. Moreover, electronic modules which comprise large surface area silicon carriers with multiple chips face mounted thereon are designed such that integrated silicon cooling modules are rigidly bonded to the back surfaces of such chips to increase the structural integrity of the silicon carriers.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of improving the heat transfer from a semiconductor chip to its heat sinking device. The heat transfer device consists of a liquid chamber in which liquid is circulated within the chamber to spread the heat from one location of the chamber to the heat pipes partially mounted in the chamber. The heat is then carried away by the heat pipes to a remote heat sinking device. The chamber has built-in mechanism to allow the liquid to expand during normal operation and its expansion status to be monitored.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a method of constructing a semiconductor chip cooling device consists of multiple fans and heat sinks to provide redundant cooling capability. Heat coming from a semiconductor chip is first distributed to several heat sinks using multiple heat pipes. The heat sinks are placed around the fan outlet such that air is pulled in near the center of the fan and then pushed to across the heat sinks. Multiple fans and heat sinks are stacked up to form a complete cooling device. An external control circuitry is used to monitor and control the fans. In case of one fan fails, the other fans will be speeded up to make up the lost of air flow.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods are provided for integrating microchannel cooling modules within high-density electronic modules (e.g., chip packages, system-on-a-package modules, etc.,) comprising multiple high-performance IC chips. Electronic modules are designed such that high-performance (high power) IC chips are disposed in close proximity to the integrated cooling module (or cooling plate) for effective heat extraction. Moreover, electronic modules which comprise large surface area silicon carriers with multiple chips face mounted thereon are designed such that integrated silicon cooling modules are rigidly bonded to the back surfaces of such chips to increase the structural integrity of the silicon carriers.

Abstract: A microelectronic device is made of a semiconductor substrate, a heat generating component in a layer thereof, and a body within the remaining semiconductor substrate. The body is made of materials which have a high thermal inertia and/or thermal conductivity. When high thermal conductivity materials are used, the body acts to transfer the heat away from the substrate to a heat sink.

Abstract: A structure, and method of forming and cooling the structure. The structure may include a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor chip) having N continuous substrate channels and an interposer having N continuous interposer channels (N?2). The N interposer channels are coupled to the N substrate channels to form M continuous loops (1?M?N). The M loops may transfer heat from a heat source within the substrate to the interposer and then to a heat sink thermally coupled to the interposer. The structure may include an interposer having a thermally conductive enclosure surrounding a cavity. The cavity contains a thermally conductive foam material (e.g., graphite foam). The foam material contains a serpentine channel having contiguously connected channel segments. The serpentine channel may transfer heat from a heat source within a substrate (e.g., a semiconductor chip) to the interposer and then to a heat sink thermally coupled to the interposer.

Abstract: A cooling device for a chip in a portable computer that uses a horizontal flat fan in the corner of a portable computer housing with air outlets through heatsinks that enhance exhaust air flow over heat pipes from the chip and out through the computer housing. The exhaust is through the adjacent vertical walls of the computer housing. Separate heat pipes go directly from the chip to fins located at the outlet at the wall.

Abstract: A thermal interposer is provided for attachment to the back surface of a semiconductor device so as to give a very low thermal resistance. In one preferred embodiment, the thermal interposer has two plates containing wick structures such as grooves. The thermal interposer is integrated with a semiconductor device so as to form a vapor chamber. In particular, the back surface of the semiconductor chip is in direct contact with the interior sealed volume of the vapor chamber, so as to greatly reduce the thermal resistance from the combination of the chip and the vapor chamber. Further, the upper plate is thermally coupled to a heat-sinking fixture such as a heat sink or a cold plate.

Abstract: A thermal interposer is provided for attachment to a surface of a semiconductor device. In one embodiment, the thermal interposer includes an upper plate having a bottom surface with a plurality of grooves and made of a material having high thermal conductivity, and a lower plate having a top surface with a plurality of grooves and made of a material having a coefficient of thermal expansion that is substantially the same as the coefficient of thermal expansion of the material of a semiconductor device that is bonded to the bottom surface of the lower plate. The bottom surface of the upper plate is hermetically bonded to the top surface of the lower plate so that a vapor chamber is formed by the upper and lower plates, and walls of the grooves on the top surface of the lower plate extend to within less than 250 microns from walls of the grooves on the bottom surface of the upper plate comprise a plurality of second walls the first walls.

Abstract: A cooling apparatus for heat generating devices such as semiconductor chips comprises a parallel disk fan in the middle of a set of heat sink fins. The parallel disk fan has radial elements placed between the disks to efficiently create air flow without turbulence. Cooling efficiency is further enhanced when heat dissipation through the parallel disks of the fan is introduced.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a modular heat dissipating device that consists of a plurality of sheet and beam members which are connected together by heat pipes. The sheet or support fin member is constructed by folding a piece of heat conducting material which is then mounted on a beam member. There are individual compliant interfaces built into the fin members such that a good thermal contact can be ensured with the heat generating semiconductor devices. The modular heat dissipating devices can be stacked up to gain higher cooling capacity or spread around to cover multiple chips on a printed-wiring board.

Abstract: The invention is directed to structure and methods of improving the cooling capacity of chip packaging modules. The chip packaging module has a substrate with thin-film wiring on one side and grooves or channels etched on one or both sides where coolant pumps are embedded. The coolant pumps are used to enhance the liquid flowing inside the module. The coolant flows through the chips within the vias in the chips or around the chips when the chips do not have vias. Both cooling modes, single or two-phase modes can be adopted in the module.