xMEMS Introduces 1mm-Thin Active Micro-Cooling Fan on a Chip

[Nomad76]

xMEMS Labs, developers of the foremost platform for piezoMEMS innovation and creators of the world's leading all-silicon micro speakers, today announced its latest industry-changing innovation: the xMEMS XMC-2400 µCooling chip, the first-ever all-silicon, active micro-cooling fan for ultramobile devices and next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.

For the first time, with active, fan-based micro-cooling (µCooling) at the chip level, manufacturers can integrate active cooling into smartphones, tablets, and other advanced mobile devices with the silent, vibration-free, solid-state xMEMS XMC-2400 µCooling chip, which measures just 1-millimeter thin.

"Our revolutionary µCooling 'fan-on-a-chip' design comes at a critical time in mobile computing," said Joseph Jiang, xMEMS CEO and Co-Founder. "Thermal management in ultramobile devices, which are beginning to run even more processor-intensive AI applications, is a massive challenge for manufacturers and consumers. Until XMC-2400, there's been no active-cooling solution because the devices are so small and thin."

The XMC-2400 measures just 9.26 x 7.6 x 1.08 millimeters and weighs less than 150 milligrams, making it 96 percent smaller and lighter than non-silicon-based, active-cooling alternatives. A single XMC-2400 chip can move up to 39 cubic centimeters of air per second with 1,000Pa of back pressure. The all-silicon solution offers semiconductor reliability, part-to-part uniformity, high robustness, and is IP58 rated.

xMEMS µCooling is based on the same fabrication process as the award-winning, sound-from-ultrasound, xMEMS Cypress full-range micro speaker for ANC in-ear wireless earbuds, which will be in production in Q2, 2025 with several customers already committed to the device. xMEMS plans to sample XMC-2400 to customers in Q1, 2025.

"We brought MEMS micro speakers to the consumer electronics market and have shipped more than half a million speakers in the first 6 months of 2024," Jiang continued. "With µCooling, we are changing people's perception of thermal management. The XMC-2400 is designed to actively cool even the smallest handheld form factors, enabling the thinnest, most high-performance, AI-ready mobile devices. It's hard to imagine tomorrow's smartphones and other thin, performance-oriented devices without xMEMS µCooling technology."

xMEMS will begin demonstrating XMC-2400 to lead customers and partners in September at its xMEMS Live events in Shenzhen and Taipei.

View at TechPowerUp Main Site | Source

 

[_JP_]

Impressive but seems useless in a sealed device, as it effectively needs a pressure change from air temperature to work.
Also, no mention of the TDP limit before it cannot stop thermal-runaway, without the IC cutting power itself. But I would guess 8W max, considering its size.
Great for handhelds, media gear where micro-vibrations are not an issue, automotive, and would probably be useful in SOHO networking gear, but other than that, I mean you usually have way better ways to transfer heat out of silicon using a wee bit more of space.

 

[Octavean]

Was this not what AirJet was supposed to be? Still haven't seen much of it in actual hardware.

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[_JP_]

Was this not what AirJet was supposed to be? Still haven't seen much of it in actual hardware.

Yes, similar concept, but this one is smaller and has a side-vent intake option . Zotac have been the main users for AirJet so far.

 

[Quitessa]

Impressive but seems useless in a sealed device, as it effectively needs a pressure change from air temperature to work.
Also, no mention of the TDP limit before it cannot stop thermal-runaway, without the IC cutting power itself. But I would guess 8W max, considering its size.
Great for handhelds, media gear where micro-vibrations are not an issue, automotive, and would probably be useful in SOHO networking gear, but other than that, I mean you usually have way better ways to transfer heat out of silicon using a wee bit more of space.

I'm not so sure, even in a sealed device, as long as the exterior case has fins on the inside in the direction that the air if moving from the chip to accept the heat and move it to the case as a whole

 

[Kyan]

Didn't Frore System with the AirJet made a patent for that technology ?