Control of a Laboratory-Based Thermal Management System

In a laboratory environment, flexible, accurate and reliable thermal management is critical to successful analysis and testing of a single package IC device under test (DUT). As next generation electronic components approach a heat flux of 200W/cm², the control aspects of the thermal management system become even more critical. Utilizing advanced vapor-compression refrigeration technology in conjunction with PID control algorithms, accurate thermal management of a DUT is achieved. In order to accurately control the temperature, the control system monitors case (T_C), evaporator (T_E), or internal junction (T_J) temperature and employs real time pulse width modulation control of refrigerant flow to achieve accurate control to less than ±3°C. The system also includes the capability to monitor the actual power supplied to the DUT and is capable of control up to a thermal load of 200W. This paper presents the requirements for and the design of the thermal control system utilized in a high heat-flux, laboratory-based thermal management system.