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from the does-it-also-make-the-room-darker? dept.
Researchers at the University of Michigan ran a light emitting diode (LED) with electrodes reversed in order to cool another device mere nanometers away. The approach could lead to new solid-state cooling technology for future microprocessors, which will have so many transistors packed into a small space that current methods can’t remove heat quickly enough.
This could turn out to be important for future smartphones and other computers. With more computing power in smaller and smaller devices, removing the heat from the microprocessor is beginning to limit how much power can be squeezed into a given space.
https://www.rtoz.org/2019/02/18/running-an-led-in-reverse-could-cool-future-computers/
[How does this compare to a Peltier device?
--Ed.]
(Score: 4, Informative) by noelhenson on Tuesday February 19 2019, @09:09PM (4 children)
In a reversed polarity circuit, an LED will generate a photo-voltaic current when exposed to light. In older LED displays, unused LED segments were sometimes used as light sensors to control the display brightness. For IR remote controls, I have used the IR LED as the IR sensor as well.
I believe it could be this effect that carries away the heat. I still don't think it could carry away enough heat to make any real difference.
(Score: 2) by Snow on Tuesday February 19 2019, @09:20PM (2 children)
Interesting.
So essentially it's a solar panel, but tuned for infrared (heat)?
The article is scant on details, but I was picturing something similar to the Peltier effect where the heat is moved to another location. In this case, the heat is not moved, but rather converted to electricity?
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday February 19 2019, @09:27PM (1 child)
yes. the photon's charge gets carried out as electrons. this freaking awesome insight could just make the way for viable 3D computing structures in which waste heat converts back to charge.
(Score: 2) by qzm on Wednesday February 20 2019, @10:57AM
if only efficiency didnt matter..
(Score: 3, Informative) by jmorris on Wednesday February 20 2019, @03:40AM
Yup, many forget or never realized the truth of diodes.
All PN junctions are diodes.
All PN junctions are zener diodes, although sometimes they are destroyed at about the same reverse voltage. Just depends on the way it was designed.
All PN junctions are LEDs at some wavelength, often infrared.
All PN junctions are photodiodes, sensitive to some wavelengths more than others.
All PN junctions are solar cells, usually very poor ones because so small but still...
The reactions to light are often eliminated by encapsulating them in an opaque substance such as epoxy.