3 ms·

We already have high-quality thermal conductors and its name is copper. And copper runs throughout the inside of all of our chips. I have severe doubts that an

We already have high-quality thermal conductors and its name is copper. And copper runs throughout the inside of all of our chips. I have severe doubts that any "heat semiconductor" would have the same thermal-conductance as copper (or copper heatpipes, and other such heat-devices we have today).

LoganDark 3y ago
But copper is conductive, so it will conduct electricity too. This could possibly be placed in areas where copper can't be, maybe even much closer to (or even directly contacting) the actual copper traces in the chip. Unfortunately I don't know enough about CPU manufacturing to speculate much more than that.
- dragontamer 3y ago
  You're asking for a thermal jumper. I don't know much about the inside of CPUs either. But I know that at the PCB-level, we use these devices to carry heat but not electricity. https://www.vishay.com/en/product/60157/ https://www.vishay.com/en/product/60157/ Copper is still better at conducting heat. But just a little bit of thermal-jumper to make that small electrical separation is all you need. Datasheet: https://www.vishay.com/docs/60157/thjp.pdf https://www.vishay.com/docs/60157/thjp.pdf In any case, modern material science provides us with plenty of useful insulators, conductors, thermal-conductors (but not electrical), semiconductors, and now semi-heat conductors (erm, thermal semiconductor?) I don't expect the thermal semiconductor to be replacing any of the other materials we already use. Instead, we will find new discoveries and applications for things I can barely imagine.
- mitthrowaway2 3y ago
  If you want to conduct heat but not electricity, there's always diamond.
  - LoganDark 3y ago
    You're right, I forgot that diamond is very easy to grow on silicon during the CPU manufacturing process.
    - LoganDark 3y ago
      ...this was sarcasm, just in case it wasn't already painfully obvious to the downvoters.
- svnt 3y ago
  This requires a layer of gold below it, and a layer of graphene above it. If you’re worried about shorting things out, this isn’t your solution.
  - LoganDark 3y ago
    Oof. Good to know.

LoganDark 3y ago

But copper is conductive, so it will conduct electricity too. This could possibly be placed in areas where copper can't be, maybe even much closer to (or even directly contacting) the actual copper traces in the chip. Unfortunately I don't know enough about CPU manufacturing to speculate much more than that.

dragontamer 3y ago
You're asking for a thermal jumper. I don't know much about the inside of CPUs either. But I know that at the PCB-level, we use these devices to carry heat but not electricity. https://www.vishay.com/en/product/60157/ https://www.vishay.com/en/product/60157/ Copper is still better at conducting heat. But just a little bit of thermal-jumper to make that small electrical separation is all you need. Datasheet: https://www.vishay.com/docs/60157/thjp.pdf https://www.vishay.com/docs/60157/thjp.pdf In any case, modern material science provides us with plenty of useful insulators, conductors, thermal-conductors (but not electrical), semiconductors, and now semi-heat conductors (erm, thermal semiconductor?) I don't expect the thermal semiconductor to be replacing any of the other materials we already use. Instead, we will find new discoveries and applications for things I can barely imagine.
mitthrowaway2 3y ago
If you want to conduct heat but not electricity, there's always diamond.
- LoganDark 3y ago
  You're right, I forgot that diamond is very easy to grow on silicon during the CPU manufacturing process.
  - LoganDark 3y ago
    ...this was sarcasm, just in case it wasn't already painfully obvious to the downvoters.
svnt 3y ago
This requires a layer of gold below it, and a layer of graphene above it. If you’re worried about shorting things out, this isn’t your solution.
- LoganDark 3y ago
  Oof. Good to know.