US startup Akash Systems announced the development of diamond cooling technology for GPUs, which can reduce temperatures by 20 °C and increase the potential for increasing frequencies by 25%. The company has applied for funding from the US government under the CHIPS Act and has already received preliminary approval.
Image Source: Akash Systems
Diamond cooling technology goes beyond simply using nanodiamond thermal paste. Instead, synthetic diamonds are used as a substrate for the chips, effectively dissipating heat away from the processor due to the material’s high thermal conductivity. Akash Systems doesn’t reveal the secrets of the technology, but explains that it combines synthetic diamonds with conductive materials such as gallium nitride (GaN) to create the semiconductor.
Image Source: Akash Systems
In a statement, the company claims that the technology can reduce GPU temperatures by 10-20°C, allowing data centers to significantly reduce cooling costs. In addition, this will help avoid thermal throttling and improve chip performance. In some cases, temperature reduction can reach up to 60% with a reduction in energy consumption of up to 40%. However, these figures have not yet been confirmed by independent tests and require verification.
Image Source: Akash Systems
The company has already raised $18 million from venture investors, but its CEO Felix Ejeckam explains the appeal to the CHIPS Act by the fact that venture capital is not always willing to support semiconductor startups. Notably, the majority of CHIPS Act funding recipients are large technology companies such as Intel, Samsung, and TSMC. Akash Systems is one of the few startups to receive support, highlighting the uniqueness and potential of their developments.
In addition to cooling GPUs, Akash Systems is also working on applying GaN-on-Diamond technology to RF power amplifiers in satellites. This will increase the reliability and speed of data transfer, while simultaneously reducing the size of devices.