Coherent has announced Thermadite 800 Liquid Cold Plates (LCP) for next-generation AI accelerator cooling. Coherent says the product targets high heat-flux compute by combining high thermal conductivity with mechanical stability to lower chip temperature and support aggressive liquid-cooling designs.

Coherent reports Thermadite 800 provides thermal conductivity of 800 W/(m⋅K), which it says is approximately twice that of copper, along with a low coefficient of thermal expansion and high dimensional stability. According to Coherent, these properties improve heat spreading and reduce thermal interface resistance to help lower chip temperatures.

In AI accelerator environments, Coherent claims Thermadite 800 LCPs can reduce chip temperatures by more than 15 °C versus conventional copper cold plates. Coherent also notes the material has roughly 60% lower density than copper, which it positions for mass-sensitive systems while maintaining high-performance liquid cooling.

Coherent says Thermadite is formed by integrating diamond into a silicon carbide (SiC) matrix, producing a stiff, stable, highly thermally conductive material. Coherent adds that Thermadite 800 is intended to support aggressive liquid cooling without the warpage, stress, or reliability concerns it associates with metal and metal-diamond cold plates.

The Thermadite 800 LCPs can be built with complex internal microchannel architectures optimized to real chip heat maps, focusing cooling on localized hot spots while minimizing pressure drop and coolant usage. “Effective cooling in high-performance computing depends on the entire thermal route from chip to coolant,” said Steve Rummel, Senior VP of the Engineered Materials Group. “By merging decades of material science with precision manufacturing, Thermadite liquid cold plates lower chip temperatures, optimize pressure flow, and minimize interface resistance – all specifically designed for the extreme requirements of modern AI chips.”

Source: Coherent