Technological breakthrough: the US has figured out how to produce more powerful and “cooler” chips

Physicists have figured out how to solve the problem of copper overheating in electronics, which reduces conductivity and efficiency.

Researchers at the University of Virginia in the US have opened the way to developing more efficient computer chips by learning how to manage heat. They published a paper about it in the journal Nature Communications.

Scientists in partnership with processor developer Intel have made a significant breakthrough in increasing the efficiency of computer chips by confirming a key principle that controls the flow of heat in thin metal films. The results of the study will help create faster, more compact and more energy-efficient devices than ever before.

As explained by lead researcher and graduate student in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Rafiqul Islam, heat management is becoming an extremely important task as devices continue to shrink in size. In modern game consoles or data centers with artificial intelligence, constant operation at high power often leads to heat transfer problems.

“Our findings provide a blueprint for mitigating these problems by improving the way heat flows through ultrathin metals such as copper,” the scientist said.

Copper is widely used in technology due to its excellent conductive properties, but faces significant challenges when devices are scaled down. At the nanometer scale, the material heats up significantly, leading to a decrease in conductivity and efficiency.

To address this shortcoming, the researchers focused on a key element of thermal science known as “Matthissen's rule,” which they tested on ultrathin copper films. The rule helps predict how different scattering processes affect the flow of electrons, but until now no one has been able to confirm it in nanoscale detail.

Using a new technique known as steady-state thermal reflection (SSTR), the team measured the thermal conductivity of copper and compared it to electrical resistance data. This direct comparison showed that Matthiessen's rule, applied with certain parameters, reliably describes how heat moves through copper films, even at nanoscale thicknesses.

This research could not only make devices run cooler, but also reduce the amount of energy lost to heat — a drawback for current technologies. By confirming that Matthiessen's rule holds even at the nanoscale, the group has paved the way for improvements to the materials that connect circuits in modern computer chips and set a standard for manufacturers.

“With the confirmation of this rule, chip designers have a reliable guide to predicting and controlling how heat will behave in tiny copper films. This is a game-changer for creating chips that meet the energy and performance demands of future technologies,” says Professor Patrick Hopkins.

The results have great potential to advance next-generation CMOS (complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor) technology, a key component of modern electronics. CMOS is the standard technology underlying integrated circuits used in devices ranging from computers and smartphones to automobiles and medical equipment.