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NovoLINC's MaxLINC™: Revolutionizing Thermal Management in AI Computing

In a remarkable demonstration of thermal technology, NovoLINC revealed its cutting-edge thermal interface material, MaxLINC™, which has achieved a uniform heat flux of 400 W/cm² and a total power output of 3,300 W using production-representative silicon with significant warpage. This milestone is pivotal for the next generation of AI accelerators, aiming to tackle persistent thermal management challenges that arise as processors demand more power and become increasingly complex.

The testing of MaxLINC™ utilized a specialized single-phase direct liquid cooling (DLC) cold plate provided by CoolIT, a well-regarded name in cooling technology. The results indicated that the thermal stack maintained the silicon junction temperature under 90°C, demonstrating MaxLINC™'s effectiveness in managing heat transfer even in the face of substantial die warpage, which has been a traditional obstacle in efficient cooling solutions.

As AI processing units evolve toward higher power outputs and expansive package sizes, silicon warpage has transitioned into a pressing issue for thermal design. Inefficiencies in heat transfer can emerge from slight variances in flatness between the semiconductor elements and the cooling apparatus. Such discrepancies often lead to increased thermal resistance and the potential establishment of localized hot spots, which are detrimental to the electronics' performance.

MaxLINC™ was specifically engineered to counter these challenges. The technology leverages NovoLINC's proprietary nanostructured composite architecture, blending ultra-low thermal resistance with mechanical compliance. This unique construction empowers MaxLINC™ to sustain optimal thermal contact across uneven surfaces, thereby facilitating efficient heat dissipation from high-power semiconductor components into advanced cooling systems.

Dr. Sheng Shen, the CTO of NovoLINC, emphasized the company's commitment to collaborating with leaders in the cooling industry, addressing a spectrum of thermal solutions ranging from single-phase to two-phase DLC and immersion cooling. “These results elucidate a thermal roadmap that showcases how MaxLINC™ combined with modern liquid cooling systems can bridge the gap enabling the advancement of high-powered chips and AI server infrastructures,” he stated.

Additional insights came from Ben Sutton, Product Marketing Manager at CoolIT. He expressed the growing importance of ensuring that cooling technologies keep pace with the continued evolution of silicon power. The integration of CoolIT’s cold plate with MaxLINC™, Sutton noted, illustrates that single-phase DLC is poised to support high-heat-flux processors into the next decade while curtailing the costs and complexities associated with upgrading cooling architectures.

NovoLINC's demonstration showcased a commendable total device power threshold of 3,300 W, underlining MaxLINC™'s capability to meet the increasing thermal requirements of next-gen GPUs, CPUs, ASICs, and other AI processing units. According to Dr. Ning Li, the company's CEO, “The advancement toward multi-kilowatt processors in AI computing raises significant heat extraction challenges, especially from complex packages. Our objective with MaxLINC™ is to mitigate the thermal interface as a bottleneck, thus providing designers and system integrators the flexibility to enhance both performance and power density.”

This introduction of 400 W/cm² performance by MaxLINC™ signifies a considerable leap in the development of high-performance thermal interfaces. MaxLINC™ is designed to operate efficiently across various thermal pathways, including direct chip-to-cooling interfaces, chip-to-package heat spreaders, and connections between packaged devices and cold plates or other advanced cooling apparatuses.

For companies looking to innovate in AI computing infrastructure, MaxLINC™ samples are now available for customer evaluation and qualification. As NovoLINC continues to lead the way in advanced thermal solutions, the industry can expect to see new standards emerge in thermal management technology.

About NovoLINC

NovoLINC, based in Pittsburgh, focuses on creating next-generation thermal interface solutions tailored for AI computing and other energy-dense electronic systems. Spun out from Carnegie Mellon University, the company employs a proprietary nanostructured materials framework and a scalable manufacturing approach aimed at alleviating thermal constraints in sectors including high-performance computing, automotive electronics, aerospace, and power electronics. Supported by initiatives from the U.S. National Science Foundation and the DOE's ARPA-E COOLERCHIPS program, NovoLINC collaborates with notable players across semiconductor and cooling systems industries to bolster performance while enhancing energy efficiency and sustainability.