US 12,174,239 B2
Thermal testing system having safety feature(s) and multiple independently controlled thermoelectric coolers
Quang Thanh Tran, San Jose, CA (US); Judith Cutaran Aarts, San Jose, CA (US); and John S. Hickman, Reno, NV (US)
Assigned to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed by Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC, Redmond, WA (US)
Filed on Nov. 5, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/520,567.
Prior Publication US 2023/0143199 A1, May 11, 2023
Int. Cl. G01R 31/26 (2020.01); G01K 3/00 (2006.01); G01R 19/165 (2006.01)
CPC G01R 31/2642 (2013.01) [G01K 3/005 (2013.01); G01R 19/16571 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A thermal testing system comprising:
a plurality of thermoelectric coolers, each thermoelectric cooler having first and second opposing surfaces, each thermoelectric cooler configured to have a temperature differential between the first and second opposing surfaces of a respective thermoelectric cooler, which is caused by a Peltier effect, based on a respective input voltage, each subset of a plurality of subsets of the plurality of thermoelectric coolers positioned between a respective first heat exchanger of one or more first heat exchangers and a respective second heat exchanger of one or more second heat exchangers, each subset including at least one of the plurality of thermoelectric coolers;
a thermal controller comprising a plurality of variable voltage sources that are configured to control the plurality of thermoelectric coolers independently, each variable voltage source configured to generate a respective input voltage that corresponds to a respective target temperature differential such that the respective input voltage causes the respective thermoelectric cooler to have the respective target temperature differential between the first and second opposing surfaces of the respective thermoelectric cooler;
the one or more first heat exchangers, each first heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between a respective subset of the plurality of thermoelectric coolers and a fluid; and
the one or more second heat exchangers, each second heat exchanger configured to transfer heat between a respective semiconductor device of one or more semiconductor devices and a respective subset of the plurality of thermoelectric coolers;
wherein each variable voltage source is configured to discontinue providing the respective input voltage to the respective thermoelectric cooler based at least in part on a determination that a fluid pump encounters a technical issue, wherein the fluid is received by the one or more first heat exchangers from the fluid pump.