xMEMS Labs, Inc. has announced the extension of its µCooling fan-on-a-chip technology into AI data centers, providing an in-module active thermal management solution for optical transceivers. Originally designed for compact mobile devices, the µCooling platform now addresses the thermal challenges faced by dense, thermally-constrained environments in high-speed optical transceivers, including those operating at 400G, 800G, and 1.6T data rates. These high-performance transceivers are becoming increasingly critical in next-generation AI infrastructure.
Unlike traditional cooling methods that focus on large, high-power processors and graphics processing units (GPUs), µCooling is designed to target smaller, thermally sensitive components that are often difficult to cool using conventional systems. These components, such as optical transceiver DSPs, typically have thermal design power (TDP) requirements of 18W or higher, contributing to thermal challenges that affect performance and reliability as data rates increase.
The µCooling system uses xMEMS’ monolithic MEMS fan, fabricated using standard silicon processes. The fan is capable of generating high-velocity air pulses without causing vibrations or noise, and it is small enough to be embedded within the optical transceiver module itself. Thermal simulations indicate that the µCooling solution can effectively remove up to 5W of localized heat, lowering the operating temperature of DSPs by more than 15% and reducing thermal resistance by over 20%. This enhanced cooling capability helps maintain signal integrity and extend the operational lifespan of transceiver modules.
One of the key features of the µCooling design is its integration into a dedicated airflow channel that is thermally coupled to the transceiver’s heat sources but separated from the optical path and core electronics. This separation ensures that optical components remain shielded from dust and contamination, preserving both the signal clarity and the transceiver’s reliability.
The growing demand for high-speed optical connectivity is driven by the rapid advancements in AI workloads, which require increasingly high data center interconnect performance. Market projections suggest a significant rise in shipments of 800G and 1.6T transceivers, with annual growth rates expected to exceed 35% through 2028. As these modules increase in power and performance, addressing thermal management challenges becomes a critical consideration for their widespread adoption.
µCooling’s solid-state, piezoMEMS design ensures that the cooling solution operates without motors or moving bearings, offering a maintenance-free, reliable, and scalable thermal management solution. The fan’s compact size—measuring as small as 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.13mm—combined with its ability to scale, makes it suitable for a variety of optical module form factors, including QSFP-DD, OSFP, and future pluggable and co-packaged optics.
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