Effect of a micro heat sink geometric design on thermo-hydraulic performance: A review

•Effective thermal and hydraulic parameters in MCHS are investigated.•Different patterns, cross-sections and manifolds of MCHS are analyzed.•PEC is calculated to select the best geometry as paper novelty.•Another novelty is commercialized MCHS that introduced and discussed. With progress in technology and miniaturization of electronic devices, liquid coolants were used increasingly in personal computers, laptops, servers, and supercomputers. Micro heat sinks are widely used for cooling rate enhancement. Geometrical design plays a crucial role in the thermal performance of microchannel heat sinks. This work reviews the researches concerning micro heat sinks via three aspects: (1) Flow passage patterns, (2) Geometry of cross-sections (3) Inlet and outlet manifolds containing header shapes and the manifold position. Main specifications of each feature were tabulated to make it appropriate for comparisons. The main aims of this study are to cover the research gap in a review of cross-section impact on the thermo-hydraulic performance of microchannel heat sinks. Then summarize important data of articles in the table at the end of each section and extract data from some results of articles. Performance evaluation criteria (PEC) is calculated using extracted data to achieve better decision from the perspective of cross-section and pattern of the microchannel heat sink. Furthermore, the commercialized heat sinks for electronics cooling, which follow the outcomes of scientific reports were discussed which has not been reported before.