Heat Sink

/hiːt sɪŋk/ · Noun · Development · Origin: 1960

Definitions

  1. A passive thermal management component, typically made of aluminum or copper with fins, that absorbs and dissipates heat from an electronic component through conduction and convection.

    In plain English: A metal block with fins that sits on top of a hot chip and draws heat away, like how a car radiator keeps the engine cool. The fins create more surface area for heat to escape into the air.

    Example: "The voltage regulator was thermal-throttling until we added a finned heat sink — dropped the junction temperature by 30°C."

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