I apologize for the misquote, it has been fixed. My intent was not to distort your words, but to add emphasis to the package part.
As for the prior art, the NatSemi patent involves peltier elements coplaner to the transistor layer and lateral heat pumping. They get regions of improved cooling at the expense of other regions and with a lowering of transistor density.
BAE extended the idea with their perpendicular heat pumping using pelts on the opposite side of the wafer. Transistor density is the same as without pelts, but there isn't the precise localized cooling of the NatSemi version. Additionally, there's the problems of two sided fabrication and making electrical connection to both sides of a die (which also limits heat sink or heat spreader contact possibilities).
The AMD pushes the idea further by using pelts on the same side of the wafer as the transistors (more localized cooling, easier fab, easier electrical connection) but in a seperate layer (preserving transistor density) and pumping heat perpendicularly (no new hot spots).
Yes, it's a synthesis. Yes, the Inquirer needs to calm down. But AMD's version does have advantages over previous incarnations and it is cool stuff.
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