Thermal-management innovations sought by DARPA, HRL Laboratories
NewsMarch 13, 2025
MALIBU, Calif. Technology research concern HRL Laboratories will present a superior cooling system for stacks of microelectronic chips as part of a project launched by the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) that seeks to create compact thermal-management technology in a chip stack using 3D heterogeneous integration (3DHI).
The program -- dubbed PHased ARray with INnovative HEterogeneously Integrated Thermal Solution (PHARINHEITS) -- intends to surpass heat-transfer metrics set out by DARPA. By surpassing current integrated thermal-management limits, the PHARINHEITS program aims to enable next-generation millimeter-wave (mm-wave) radio-frequency phased arrays with dramatically increased transmit power relative to current systems. Such chip stacks may be used in future phased-array radar and communications systems with increased range.
HRL Laboratories -- a private R&D company owned jointly by Boeing and GM -- is directing the overall program to lead the system design, develop thermal-isolation and thermal-spreading techniques, lead the 3D integration, and execute system performance testing. HRL reports that it is partnering with leading university labs with expertise in heat-transfer technologies, Si CMOS, GaN, heterogeneous integration, and RF front ends.
- University of Maryland is focusing on high-performance bottom-of-stack microchannel thermal technology development and compact, additively manufactured heat exchanger fabrication under the leadership of Professor Michael Ohadi
- Stanford University is focusing on multifunctional top-of-stack microchannel thermal technology development under the leadership of Adjunct Professor Mehdi Asheghi and Professor Ken Goodson
- Purdue University is focusing on reliability engineering and thermomechanical modeling under the leadership of Professors Ganesh Subbarayan and Shubhra Bansal
- MIT Lincoln Laboratory is focusing on silicon chip design and fabrication under the leadership of Doctors Chenson Chen and Ryan Keech
HRL is scheduled to present initial data from its project at the GOMACtech conference in Pasadena, California, on Thursday, March 20.
