With the development of thinner and more precise silicon detectors for vertexing and tracking in collider experiments, the design of sufficiently thin and stable supports and services is increasingly challenging. In this contribution an overview is given of the deployment of micro-channel cooling in high energy physics. The emphasis is on a recently proposed approach to integrate the cooling channels in the silicon sensor and the connectivity of the micro-channel circuit to the overall system. Measurements and finite-element simulations of prototype assemblies are presented. The cooling performance is found to exceed that of more traditional systems by a large factor. The impact of micro-channel cooling on the mechanical stability is also discussed.