Thermal Management Improvements for Transmit/Receive Modules Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2013.1 Topic No.: N131-028 Topic Title: Thermal Management Improvements for Transmit/Receive Modules Proposal No.: N131-028-0401 Firm: ThermAvant Technologies, LLC 1000 A Pannell Street Columbia, Missouri 65201 Contact: Aaron Hathaway Phone: (773) 355-1653 Web Site: www.thermavant.com Abstract: An oscillating heat pipe (OHP) embedded substrate made from low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) material(s) will be designed, simulated, optimized, fabricated, and empirically tested to demonstrate the OHP technology's ultra-high heat transfer rates under real-world microchip operating conditions as found in shipboard Transmit/Receive modules. With guidance from a large supplier of Naval radar systems, ThermAvant will prototype OHP-based cooling solutions that can be directly attached to GaN, Si or SiC microchips without the thermal/mechanical stresses induced by traditional thermal management materials' CTE mismatch with such chips. Phase I and Phase I Option (if awarded) research efforts will focus not only on optimizing thermal performance but also on developing a form factor and manufacturing process(es) that can be easily integrated into current products and assembly flows utilized by T/R Module manufacturers. Benefits: In addition to enabling lower cost and higher performance T/R modules in Naval shipboard applications, OHP thermal management technologies and manufacturing improvements developed under this topic will have direct application in commercial aperture systems used in communications and radar systems. Thermal management improvements from the proposed technology can be used in applications such avionics, satellite payload electronics, embedded computing systems, power electronics, and high-powered laser systems. Return