Beyond Conventional Cooling: Advanced Micro/Nanostructures for Managing Extreme Heat Flux

Abstract

Abstract The surge in device integration has escalated thermal losses, compromising performance and safety, necessitating advanced thermal management solutions with extraordinary heat flux capabilities to address power and heat dissipation challenges in high heat‐flux electronics. Micro/nanostructures have emerged as promising solutions for targeted heat dissipation in electronics due to their outstanding performance, miniature footprint, and design flexibility. However, a comprehensive review of recent advancements in heat transfer control via micro/nanostructures and their current and potential applications for high heat‐flux thermal management, particularly for electronic devices, remains lacking. This review systematically examines the fundamental heat transfer mechanisms enabled by micro/nanostructures at multiscales. A wide range of bio‐inspired or engineered designs are highlighted as formidable candidates for highly efficient thermal and hydrodynamic metamaterials. Novel micro/nano‐patterns that significantly contribute to the modulation of coupled heat transfer processes in practical applications for electronic thermal management are elaborated. Furthermore, the strengths and limitations of existing design and manufacturing methods for micro/nanostructures are comparatively summarized. Finally, key challenges and prospects of micro/nanostructure‐based thermal management techniques are discussed, drawing insights from previous applications. This review underscores the transformative potential of micro/nanostructures in achieving reliable, sustainable, and targeted thermal management for high‐performance electronic devices in the near future.