How to Reduce Self-Heating Effect (SHE):
🧱 1. Use Better Thermal Conductive Materials
Replace traditional SiO₂ or low-k dielectrics with materials that have higher thermal conductivity
Example: AlN (Aluminum Nitride) or BN (Boron Nitride) for heat spreading
🌡️ 2. Thermal-Aware Device Design
Wider fins, shorter gate lengths, or multi-fin structures to distribute heat
Increase fin spacing to allow better thermal dissipation
🧯 3. Layout Optimization
Avoid placing high-power devices too close together
Introduce thermal guard bands between hot blocks in analog or digital layout
🧰 4. Use Advanced Cooling Techniques
Add micro heat sinks or embedded thermal vias
Backside cooling (used in 3D ICs) helps remove heat from below the silicon
⚙️ 5. Reduce Power Density
Lower supply voltage (DVFS – Dynamic Voltage and Frequency Scaling)
Use power gating and sleep modes for unused logic blocks
🧠 6. Use Simulation and Modeling Tools
Run thermal simulations during design to predict hot spots
Use electro-thermal co-simulation to evaluate the interaction between power and temperature
💡 Summary Table
| Technique | Effect on Self-Heating |
|---|---|
| High thermal conductivity materials | Improves heat dissipation |
| Wider or spaced fins | Reduces thermal crowding |
| Thermal-aware layout | Spreads hot zones more effectively |
| Advanced packaging/cooling | Removes heat from chip efficiently |
| Low-power design techniques | Reduces heat generation |
📘 Final Thought:
As nodes shrink below 7nm, self-heating becomes a serious reliability and performance issue—especially in analog/RF or high-performance logic. Combining smart design, materials innovation, and thermal-aware layout is essential to minimize SHE.
