Nextreme crafts thermoelectric module for microscopic cooling

It's been a tick since anyone 'round these parts has taken Peltier cooling seriously, but sure enough, North Carolina-based Nextreme Thermal Solutions is giving us reason to spark that conversation up once more. Its Ultra-High Packing Fraction (UPF) OptoCooler module utilizes "thin-film thermal bump technology at its core," essentially enabling it to be "integrated directly into electronic and optoelectronic packaging to deliver more than 45°C of cooling." Initially, the outfit hopes to have its product embedded within LED packages to "control temperatures and maintain proper operating conditions," and while we'd certainly be more awestruck if these were headed straight for microprocessors of some sort, we've all ideas Nextreme's already working on that endeavor.

[Via Slashdot]

[michaelportent @ Jan 16th 2008 12:57PM]

Throw maybe 50 of those in my Xbox360: Totally set!

[Magallanes @ Jan 16th 2008 3:00PM]

The trouble with the hot is that you must transmit this temperature from one hot place to another more cool, this is the basis of peltier. So, putting this peltier without a fan or a cooling solution will do nothing.

[LukeA @ Jan 16th 2008 3:47PM]

Heat pipe

[Nikkoli @ Jan 16th 2008 4:32PM]

Peltier junctions are heat pumps... So although 1 side might cool by 45 degrees, it will require the other side heat up by 45 degrees plus the heat generated by the electricity flowing through it.

I guess my question would be: How is this going to help anything? I will still need a heatsink and fan to cool my processor, only it will now cool the cooler embedded in my processor.

As for their first intended use, LED's: I will stick to my normal LEDs, instead of their new heatsink required version. Seems more like a step backwards unless the heatsink one can provide something more (brighter, longer lasting, etc...)

[man.dovvn @ Jan 16th 2008 4:33PM]

With enough of these, we can combat global warming. Yay!

[paul34 @ Jan 17th 2008 1:00AM]

Well, on one side of the globe, anyway...

[whothehellareyu @ Jan 16th 2008 5:54PM]

Will I be able to have one of these as a Monopoly piece?

[Generic @ Jan 18th 2008 5:09AM]

What about lacing the heat emitting side with the new nano tubes that are so dark that they absorb all light. Then we can reuse the heat dissipated as infra-red light to generate electricity (i.e. if the nano tubes absorb infra-red, I didn't check).

Just a thought!