Liquid Cooling Insights

Long before data centers needed liquid cooling for artificial intelligence, Mikros Technologies supported the semiconductor industry by developing liquid cold plates used for chip manufacturing. When designing or producing chips, it's essential to test them at both high and low temperatures. Just like automobiles that need to start in the scorching heat of Arizona as well as in the subzero cold of New York, chips must also withstand extreme temperature variations. Manufacturers depend on rigorous stress testing to ensure their products meet the highest standards and perform reliably in the field.



 

Stress tests are designed to push a system or component beyond its normal operating limits. This process helps manufacturers identify potential weaknesses and failure points. Additionally, these tests ensure that a product can withstand real-world demands. For 20 years, Mikros Technologies has designed liquid cooling solutions for these semiconductor stress tests:

• BENCHTOP TEST: This is conducted in research and development (R&D) lab environments to validate designs before they enter production.

• FUNCTIONAL TEST: Also known as specification-based testing, this production process tests each chip to ensure it meets expectations. 

• SYSTEM-LEVEL TEST: These tests focus on how a device integrates with end-use applications and can uncover flaws that were missed during wafer or package testing.

We started customizing direct-to-chip liquid-cooling solutions for data center applications over 10 years ago, when this technology was not yet mainstream. Most data centers relied on air cooling, which was adequate for cloud data centers. However, we had a few forward-thinking customers who were developing custom, high-performance chips tailored to their specific commercial needs. These projects required our expertise in thermal management, significantly enhancing our understanding of the data center ecosystem.

Mikros Technologies occupies a unique position in the market. We are not a fledgling startup, nor do we merely manufacture cold plates for chips. Instead, we are a thermal design house with 35 years of experience in developing innovative, high-performance solutions for next-generation applications, including chips, power electronics, optics, and other related technologies. We strive to be a strong development partner, and as a Jabil company, we can quickly scale designs, leveraging 35 million square feet of manufacturing space worldwide to meet your needs.