As electronic devices get smaller and more powerful, keeping them cool enough to work properly has become a major challenge.
Now, researchers at the University of Tokyo have developed a new way to cool tiny computer chips much more efficiently, potentially paving the way for faster, more energy-efficient technology.
For decades, chip performance has followed Moore’s law, with circuits getting smaller and more powerful each year.
But as chips shrink, they also generate more heat in a tiny space, and existing cooling technologies can’t always keep up. This limits how much power devices can safely use without overheating.
The latest research, published in Cell Reports Physical Science, shows a big improvement in chip cooling using a smart new design.
Current advanced cooling methods already use tiny channels built into chips to let water flow through and carry heat away. But these methods are limited by how much heat water can absorb before its temperature rises—something called “sensible heat.”
However, water holds much more energy when it changes phase, like when it boils and turns into steam.
This “latent heat” is about seven times greater than sensible heat, meaning that using water’s phase change can remove much more heat from a chip.
Lead researcher Hongyuan Shi explains that this two-phase cooling method—where water heats up and vaporizes—dramatically increases cooling efficiency. The challenge, however, has been managing the flow of vapor bubbles created during boiling, which can disrupt the system if not carefully controlled.
To solve this, the team built a new cooling system with three-dimensional microchannel structures, using tiny capillaries and a special manifold layer to guide the coolant’s flow. They tested different designs to find the best combination for moving water and vapor smoothly through the chip.
Their system achieved a coefficient of performance (COP) of up to 105, a big leap compared to traditional cooling techniques. COP measures how much useful cooling you get for the energy you put in—the higher the number, the better.
Senior researcher Masahiro Nomura said that advanced cooling is crucial for the next generation of high-performance electronics. Better cooling doesn’t just mean faster gadgets; it also helps devices use energy more efficiently, supporting efforts to achieve carbon neutrality.
Thanks to innovations like this, the future could bring even more powerful electronics—from supercomputers to smartphones—that stay cooler and greener at the same time.
