Multi-core architectures require Dynamic Thermal Management mechanisms (DTM) to handle (1) multiple hotspots and (2) global chip heating effect while finding the best trade-off between performance and thermal control. In that scenario Thin-Film Thermoelectric Cooling devices can be used to mitigate both effects since they provide on-die localized cooling with a dynamic and heterogeneous effect. This work proposes controlling TFTECs from the microarchitecture for an enhanced Dynamic Thermal Management in multi-core architectures. We show that by using our TFTEC-based proposals the performance is within 8% of that of a thermally-unconstrained processor.

Increasing microprocessor performance has historically been accompanied by increasing power and increasing on-chip power density, both of which present a cooling challenge. In this paper, the historical evolution of power is traced and the impact of power and power density on thermal solution designs is summarized. Industrial and academic researchers have correspondingly increased their focus on elucidating the problem and developing innovative solutions in devices, circuits, architectures, packaging and system level heatsinking. Examples of some of the current packaging and system thermal solutions are provided to illustrate the strategies used in their design. This is followed by a brief discussion of some of the future trends in demand and solution strategies that are being developed by academic and industrial researchers to meet these demands. Potential opportunities and limitations with these strategies are reviewed.

We investigate trade-offs in microprocessor frequency and system power achievable for low temperature operation in scaled high leakage technologies by combining refrigeration with supply voltage selection, body bias, transistor sizing and shorter channel length. Reducing channel length provides better frequency and power improvement than forward body bias. When, the leakage power is more than 30 of chip power, combining refrigeration with enhancing technology by shorter channel length provides the best trade-off for power and frequency.