xMEMS extends micro cooling fan-on-a-chip tech to AI data centers

April 29, 2025 6:00 AM

xMEMS Labs, a pioneer of monolithic MEMS-based chips, announced that its innovative µCooling fan-on-a-chip platform will be expanded to AI data centers.

These micro fans are all-silicon devices which are made from the company’s Micro Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) technology, where the tiny mechanical structures are crafted out of silicon on semiconductor chips.

xMEMS said it will bring the industry’s first in-module active thermal management solution to high-performance optical transceivers.

Originally developed for compact mobile devices, xMEMS µCooling now provides targeted, hyper-localized active cooling for dense, thermally-challenged environments inside 400G, 800G, and 1.6T

optical transceivers — a critical yet underserved category in next-gen AI infrastructure.

Unlike conventional cooling approaches that target high-power (kilowatt) processors and GPUs, µCoolingfocuses on smaller, thermally stressed components that large-scale cooling systems can’t reach, such asoptical transceiver DSPs, that operate at 18W TDP or higher. These components introduce thermal

challenges and increasingly limit transceiver performance and reliability as data rates scale.

xMEMS’ monolithic MEMS fan, fabricated in standard silicon processes, pumps a continuous stream ofsilent, vibration-free high velocity air pulses and is the only active cooling solution small and thin enoughto be embedded inside the transceiver module. Thermal modeling shows that µCooling can remove up to5W of localized heat, reducing DSP operating temperatures by over 15% and thermal resistance bymore than 20%, enabling higher sustained throughput, improved signal integrity, and extended

module lifetimes.

A key innovation in µCooling’s system design is its implementation in a dedicated, isolated airflowchannel that is thermally coupled to the transceiver’s internal heat sources but physically separatedfrom the optical path and core electronics. This architecture ensures that optical components remainprotected from dust or contamination, preserving signal clarity and transceiver reliability while still

delivering impactful cooling performance.

“As data center interconnect demands scale rapidly with AI workloads, thermal bottlenecks are emergingat the component level — especially in optical modules that are sealed, power-dense, and space-

constrained,” said Mike Housholder, vice president of marketing at xMEMS Labs, in a statement. “µCooling is uniquely positioned to solve this by providing true in-module active cooling with no compromise to optics or form factor.”

Market analysts forecast strong growth in high-speed optical connectivity, with Dell’Oro Group projecting800G and 1.6T transceiver shipments to grow at over 35% CAGR through 2028. As these modules scale

in performance and power, cooling challenges are becoming a critical barrier to adoption.

µCooling’s solid-state, piezoMEMS design means no motors, no moving bearings, and no mechanicalwear, enabling maintenance-free reliability and high-volume manufacturability. Its compact footprint, assmall as 9.3 x 7.6 x 1.13mm, and scalable architecture make it ideal for modular deployments across a

wide range of interconnects, including QSFP-DD, OSFP, and future pluggable and co-packaged optics.

With µCooling now serving both mobile and data center markets, xMEMS is delivering on its vision ofscalable, solid-state thermal innovation to unlock the next wave of high-performance electronics.

For more information about xMEMS and our µCooling heat dissipation solution, visit xmems.com.

Founded in January 2018, xMEMS Labs has built a piezoMEMS platform. It invented the world’s first solid-state, monolithic MEMS speakers that combine the scalability of semiconductor manufacturing with revolutionary audio performance, enabling new audio experiences in wireless earbuds, wearables, hearing health, and now, AI glasses. The xMEMS piezoMEMS platform has also been extended to produce the world’s first μCooling fan on a chip delivering active thermal management in smartphones and other thin, performance-oriented devices.

xMEMS has over 230 granted patents worldwide for its technology. The tech has been in the works for many years. I first heard about them in 2020, when Joseph Jiang, Xmems CEO, talked about the tech behind the chips that enabled chip-based speakers. Now they’re shipping those into the market. In the meantime, xMEMS has also announced its “fan on a chip” micro cooling solutions for electronics.