Microchannel/Microimpingement Coolers

MC2 offers a line of high performance water-cooled copper mounts for high power electronics and laser diodes. These heatsinks incorporate advanced microchannel and micro-impingement cooling circuits to dramatically improve thermal performance. These coolers offer:

  • Extremely Low Thermal Resistance
  • Low Pumping Power
  • Rugged Construction
  • Ease of Customization

While traditional end-fed microchannel coolers can be fabricated, MC2 has focused on the concepts shown in the figures below. On the left is a microchannel design, with passages typically 200 microns wide. The coolant flowpath follows a 180o turn just under the heat source. This simple cooler design has been the best-seller for single diode bar coolers (i.e., with a dedicated cooler for every diode) for over a decade.

Arrays and larger coolers are normally cooled with micro-impingement coolers. The micro-impingement design, shown on the right, combines impingement heat transfer with manifold microchannel designs to create the best-performing cooler on the market. Off-the-shelf coolers can reach thermal resistances as low as 25 K-cm2/kW, with experimental coolers reaching 18 K-cm2/kW.

More information on these types of coolers can be found in the links in the sidebar and below.

Micro-Impingement/Microchannel Cooling Concepts

A Note on Thermal Resistance. The areal thermal resistance used in our specifications is defined as the temperature difference between the average surface temperature and the coolant inlet temperature, divided by a uniform heat flux. The geometries used in performance measurements ensure that there is no thermal spreading, so the heat transfer geometry is truly 1D.
A Note on Flow Rates. MC2 uses an areal volumetric flow rate in its performance charts. This flow rate is the total flow divided by the cooled area. Using the areal definition allows you to quickly compare performances and flow rate requirements of coolers with large size differences. For example, if you desired a thermal resistance that could be achieved with an areal flow rate of 1 LPM/cm2, you can quickly determine that the total flow for a 2 cm2 cooled area would be 2 LPM, and for a 30 cm2 area would be 30 LPM.