Thermal modeling and analysis of 3D multi-processor chips

As 3D chip multi-processors (3D-CMPs) become the main trend in processor development, various thermal management strategies have been recently proposed to optimize system performance while controlling the temperature of the system to stay below a threshold. These thermal-aware policies require the envision of high-level models that capture the complex thermal behavior of (nano)structures that build the 3D stack. Moreover, the floorplanning of the chip strongly determines the thermal profile of the system and a quick exploration of the design space is required to minimize the damage of the thermal effects. This paper proposes a complete thermal model for 3D-CMPs with building nano-structures. The proposed thermal model is then used to characterize the thermal behavior of the Niagara system and expose the strong influence of the chip floorplanning in the thermal profile. & 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.