Why does the performance of chips get worse with the temperature rise
Chip overheating can cause many problems. Firstly, high temperatures can cause thermal expansion of electronic components inside the chip, which may change the distance between electronic components and lead to signal transmission problems. Secondly, excessive temperature can also increase the resistance of electronic components inside the chip, hinder current transmission, and affect the normal operation of the chip. In addition, chip overheating may also cause annealing or oxidation degradation of electronic components, further damaging the performance of the chip. So, it is very important to keep the temperature of the chip within a safe range.
The performance of chips is affected by temperature and decreases, mainly due to the decrease in electron mobility caused by high temperature, increased internal noise of the device, and damage to microstructure and reliability caused by thermal expansion. For example, a decrease in electron mobility can slow down the movement of electrons in a chip, which directly reduces signal transmission speed and thus affects the chip's ability to process data. When designing chips, the specified operating temperature range was taken into consideration, and exceeding this range can lead to a significant decrease in processing performance.
Under high temperature conditions, lattice vibrations increase, leading to a decrease in the interaction between electrons and the lattice, slowing down the electron mobility and lowering the mobility. This can lead to a slower signal transmission rate, thereby affecting processor speed and computing power. The decrease in electron mobility is particularly significant during high-frequency operations. The switching speed of transistors in the chip is limited and cannot reach the expected frequency, resulting in impaired processing capability. The result is that when processing large amounts of data or completing complex computing tasks, the response time of the chip becomes longer and the processing efficiency decreases.
When the chip operates at high temperatures, thermal noise will significantly increase. Thermal noise is formed by the random motion of charge carriers excited by thermal energy, which can cause signal distortion and interference, reducing the accuracy and stability of the signal.The increased noise not only interferes with the signal processing process, but may also lead to data errors, thereby reducing the effectiveness and accuracy of the processor. In applications where high precision is required for data transmission and signal processing, temperature control is particularly important.
High temperatures can also accelerate the aging process of materials in chips, affecting their long-term reliability. For example, the gate oxide of a transistor may produce more defects due to high temperatures, reducing its insulation characteristics and causing leakage or breakdown. In addition, the thermal stress caused by temperature difference cycling can accelerate the aging of transistors, interconnects, and packaging materials, which undoubtedly shortens the service life of chips. The reliability of chips that operate continuously at high temperatures will significantly decrease, therefore strict thermal management measures are needed to maintain performance and extend lifespan.
The impact of temperature on chip performance is multifaceted, and each aspect will to some extent reduce the efficiency and stability of chip operation. The cooling and thermal management system of chips is crucial to ensure the high-performance and stable operation of computing devices. Therefore, when designing high-performance computing and electronic devices, efficient thermal solutions must be included to avoid performance degradation or even device damage caused by overheating.
