A thermal management device for carrying heat away from a heat source, comprising: a one piece monolithic body adapted to be placed in contact with the heat source and having at least one embedded channel for channeling heat away from the heat source, wherein: the body includes first and second opposite edges (32a, 32b); the channel includes a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions respectively extending along the first and second edges for channeling heat from the body to the first and second edges; and the at least one embedded channel comprises a first embedded channel and a second embedded channel for channeling heat away from the heat source, the first and second embedded channels forming a zigzag pattern and being generally coextensive with each other, wherein the first and second embedded channels form a repeating zigzag pattern across the body in which the plurality of second portions comprise straight stretches of the first and second embedded channels which are axially aligned along the first and second opposite edges of the body, providing linear zones (42, 44) along the first and second opposite edges (32, 32b) for efficient extraction of thermal energy, wherein the body comprises consolidated multiple layers of thermally conductive material, the consolidated multiple layers of thermally conductive material comprising metallurgically bonded layers of a metal foil. a one piece monolithic body adapted to be placed in contact with the heat source and having at least one embedded channel for channeling heat away from the heat source, wherein: the body includes first and second opposite edges (32a, 32b); the channel includes a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions respectively extending along the first and second edges for channeling heat from the body to the first and second edges; and the at least one embedded channel comprises a first embedded channel and a second embedded channel for channeling heat away from the heat source, the first and second embedded channels forming a zigzag pattern and being generally coextensive with each other, wherein the first and second embedded channels form a repeating zigzag pattern across the body in which the plurality of second portions comprise straight stretches of the first and second embedded channels which are axially aligned along the first and second opposite edges of the body, providing linear zones (42, 44) along the first and second opposite edges (32, 32b) for efficient extraction of thermal energy, wherein the body comprises consolidated multiple layers of thermally conductive material, the consolidated multiple layers of thermally conductive material comprising metallurgically bonded layers of a metal foil. the body includes first and second opposite edges (32a, 32b); the channel includes a plurality of first portions and a plurality of second portions respectively extending along the first and second edges for channeling heat from the body to the first and second edges; and the at least one embedded channel comprises a first embedded channel and a second embedded channel for channeling heat away from the heat source, the first and second embedded channels forming a zigzag pattern and being generally coextensive with each other, wherein the first and second embedded channels form a repeating zigzag pattern across the body in which the plurality of second portions comprise straight stretches of the first and second embedded channels which are axially aligned along the first and second opposite edges of the body, providing linear zones (42, 44) along the first and second opposite edges (32, 32b) for efficient extraction of thermal energy, wherein the body comprises consolidated multiple layers of thermally conductive material, the consolidated multiple layers of thermally conductive material comprising metallurgically bonded layers of a metal foil.