Thermal and power challenges in high performance computing systems

This paper provides an overview of the thermal and power challenges in emerging high performance computing platforms. The advent of new sophisticated applications in highly diverse areas such as health, education, finance, entertainment,etc. is driving the platform and device requirements for future systems. The key ingredients of future platforms are vertically integrated (3D) die-stacked devices which provide the required performance characteristics with the associated form factor advantages. Two of the major challenges to the design of through silicon via (TSV) based 3D stacked technologies are (i) effective thermal management and (ii) efficient power delivery mechanisms. Some of the key challenges that are articulated in this paper include hot-spot superposition and intensification in a 3D stack, design/ optimization of thermal through silicon vias (TTSVs), non-uniform power loading of multi-die stacks, efficient on-chip power delivery, minimization of electrical hotspots etc. © 2009 The Japan Society of Applied Physics.