Advances in thermal management of semiconductor devices: multi-scenario compatible solutions, challenges, and future perspectives

Semiconductor devices play a pivotal role in modern industry, but their electrical performance and lifespan can be significantly compromised by thermal effects caused by both self-generated and external heat sources. Based on the thermal characteristics and cooling requirements of semiconductor devices, this study systematically establishes common guidelines for thermal management technologies across various scenarios, including handling high heat flux, achieving uniform cooling, and adapting to dynamic heat loads. Subsequently, this review applies these management guidelines as a comprehensive evaluation framework to assess advanced cooling technologies and their development, including microfluidic cooling, thermoelectric cooling, sorption-driven passive evaporative cooling, and radiative cooling. The review demonstrates that microfluidic cooling can effectively address the challenges of high heat flux density and non-uniform thermal distribution. The single-phase embedded microfluidic device exhibits a heat dissipation capacity of approximately 1000 W/cm², and its boiling heat transfer coefficient can reach up to 1000 kW/m²K. As a cooling technology that relies on an external source, thermoelectric cooling has shown significant advantages in dynamic thermal management, offering millisecond-level responses to transient thermal shocks when combined with advanced control strategies. In addition to its self-sustaining and adaptive characteristics, emerging passive cooling technology also exhibits strong thermal management capabilities, with notable breakthroughs in materials, particularly in evaporative cooling (10²-10³ W/m²) and radiative cooling (∼10² W/m²). Based on established thermal management guidelines, this paper provides a comprehensive comparison of the performance of four cooling technologies to clarify their respective roles and effectiveness. Finally, this review outlines the current challenges and future research opportunities for various thermal management technologies, aiming to support the enhancement of their overall performance.