Technology Description

This technology is an electrocaloric devices as well as methods of making electrocaloric integrated circuits, and methods of thermally cycling integrated circuits. The electrocaloric device can include an electrocaloric material having a solid solution of two or more components of perovskites BNT, BKT, BZT, BMgT, or BNiT. The electrocaloric material can have an ergodic transition temperature within a range of 50 C to 300 C. The device can also include electrodes associated with the electrocaloric material, as well as an electrical source to add or reduce electrical field between the electrodes across the electrocaloric material to generate heating or cooling relative to the ergodic transition temperature of the electrocaloric material.

Features & Benefits

• Solid state
• Efficient, low energy, Pb-Free
• Tunable for each application

Applications

• Solid state temperature control
• Cooling of integrated circuit
• Cooling of piezoelectric actuators

Background of Invention

With certain electronic or microchip devices, performance can be limited significantly by their ability to dissipate heat. Thus, by removing heat from a device more quickly, the device itself can perform more efficiently. Larger cooling systems have been used to cool various electronic devices, which are somewhat effective. For example, devices that utilize air flow, liquid cooling, heat dissipation fins, and the like, can be effective at heat dissipation from electronic devices, but these types of systems can sometimes be cumbersome. Regardless of what type of temperature management system is used, efficient cooling of electronic systems can enhance the performance of the overall electronic device. Electrocaloric materials provides a novel way to remove heat from integrated circuits.

Status

Patented, US Patent No. 10,056,539B2; available for licensing   

This figure shows a cross-sectional view of a portion of an electrocaloric device that is attachable to an integrated circuit.