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fan heat sinks are heat sinks with an air moving source, usually a fan, integrated or embedded onto or into the heat sink.  one key advantages to this configuration of heat sink plus fan is that air can be targeted directly at the heat source. 

a disadvantage is that the fan can fail, resulting in a lack of air in your thermal design and putting it's performance and life at risk.  this technology review article, courtesy of our media sponsor, qpedia, considers some latest awarded patents for this technology including a heat sink with a centrifugal fan, heat sink with heat pipe and fan, and circular heat sink with circular fan. 

click to read the free, full article, in pdf.