Experimental Characterization and Server-Level Demonstration of Confined, Direct-on-Silicon Two-Phase Jet-Impingement Cooling With Additively Manufactured Porous-Wick-Assisted Phase Separation

Abstract

Abstract. Two-phase jet impingement cooling is a promising solution for high-heat-flux semiconductor thermal management, as it combines strong convective heat transfer with boiling to remove large heat loads at relatively low flow rates and pressure drops. However, practical deployment is hindered by challenges including inconsistent boiling initiation on smooth surfaces, surface dry-out, vapor-induced flow instabilities, and premature critical heat flux (CHF). Excessive vapor generation within confined geometries can disrupt flow uniformity, causing temperature oscillations and unstable operation. To address these challenges, this work presents a confined, direct-on-silicon two-phase jet impingement cooling approach incorporating a porous-wick-assisted phase separation mechanism. The engineered porous wick enhances nucleate boiling and enables in situ phase separation at the boiling surface. Integrated with a custom three-path manifold, the design routes separated liquid and vapor streams, minimizing vapor accumulation within the confined region and suppressing two-phase instabilities. The porous wick is directly printed onto the silicon substrate using advanced additive manufacturing, eliminating the need for a thermal interface material (TIM) and its associated thermal resistance. Thermal–hydraulic characterization using a low-surface-tension dielectric fluid demonstrates that wick-assisted phase separation reduces thermal resistance by 23–29% compared to configurations without phase separation. Extended testing over more than 200 h of continuous operation confirms stable thermal performance and indicates strong potential for long-term reliability. System-level validation is demonstrated in a 1 U server equipped with an NVIDIA V100 GPU (graphics processing unit) incorporating a direct-on-silicon printed wick.