DESIGN OF A HEAT DISSIPATION STRUCTURE FOR AN INTEGRATED CIRCUIT (IC) CHIP

An apparatus for cooling an integrated circuit (IC) die is described. The apparatus includes an adhesion layer coated on a surface of the IC die, wherein the adhesion layer has high thermal conductivity. The apparatus also includes a heat dissipation structure affixed onto the adhesion layer. This heat dissipation structure further includes a set of discrete heat dissipation elements which are substantially mechanically isolated from each other. This set of discrete heat dissipation elements provides an extended heat dissipation surface for the IC die. Moreover, each of the set of discrete heat dissipation elements has high compliance, which allows the adhesion layer to be sufficiently thin, thereby reducing a thermal conductivity of the adhesion layer.