Data centers rely heavily on pluggable optical transceivers to move huge amounts of data for AI systems, but these devices generate a lot of heat especially their digital signal processors (DSPs). Traditional cooling methods struggle because the transceivers are small, about the size of a large USB stick, leaving no room for conventional fans. As a result, the heat is usually pushed into the network switch system, which is not efficient. xMEMS has introduced a new solution: an ultrasonic MEMS “fan-on-a-chip.” This tiny device, only about a millimeter tall, uses fast-moving piezoelectric materials to push air through the transceiver. Even though it is small, it can pump 39 cubic centimeters of air per second. By placing this MEMS fan inside the airflow channel of the transceiver, xMEMS expects to reduce the DSP temperature by over 15 percent. A cooler DSP lasts longer and keeps data signals stable, which is important because unreliable links can slow down AI training. Production of xMEMS chips is scheduled to begin in 2026, matching rising demand as high-speed transceiver shipments increase. With heat becoming a major issue in AI systems, this tiny cooling technology could find many new applications in and beyond data centers.
Read more-https://spectrum.ieee.org/data-center-cooling-xmems