Sound could save circuits: Researchers theorize acoustic waves may cool microelectronics

Sound could save circuits: Researchers theorize acoustic waves may cool microelectronics
(PhysOrg.com) — “Hot sounds” has one meaning to music fans and another to physicists. Count a team of researchers at Rice University among the latter, as they’ve discovered that acoustic waves traveling along ribbons of graphene might be just the ticket for removing heat from very tiny electronic devices.

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Users control this computer with the sound of their voice.

Users control this computer with the sound of their voice.
The power of your computer-on your head.

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Nanothermal trumpet: thermoacoustic sound source made with a suspended metal nanowire

From the paper “Suspended metal wire array as a thermoacoustic sound source,” Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 163102 (2009); by AO Niskanen, J. Hassel, M. Tikander, P. Maijala, L. Grönberg, P. Helistö, from VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, PO BOX 1000, 02044 VTT, Finland. dx.doi.org A suspended metal wire array is used to produce high-pressure sound waves over a wide spectrum using the thermoacoustic effect. It is fabricated with an air-bridge arrays containing up to 2×105 wires covering an area of a few square centimeters. The supporting silicon wafer was isotropically plasma etched to release the wires thereby avoiding heat contact with the substrate. Sound pressure levels reaching 110 db at a distance of 8 cm were demonstrated near 40 khz in free field. The devices are also able to reproduce music and speech. They have potential for applications especially in the ultrasound range.