Experiments were performed to examine the spreading thermal resistance of centrally positioned heat sources and the thermal performance of a water charged, gravity assisted flat vapor chamber to be used for electronic cooling. Parametric studies including different heat fluxes and operating temperatures were conducted, and the effect of the relevant parameters on the cooling performance in terms of the spreading resistance was presented and discussed. The present vapor chamber heat spreader showed a heat removal capacity of 220 W/cm(2) with a thermal spreading resistance of 0.2 degrees C/W. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.