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Microsoft Unveils In‑Chip Microfluidic Cooling That Targets Silicon Hotspots

The lab prototype remains unproven at scale with reliability testing next.

Overview

  • Microsoft says etched hair‑thin channels on the back of a chip routed coolant directly across the silicon, removing heat up to three times more effectively than cold plates in lab tests.
  • The company reports up to a 65% reduction in maximum GPU silicon temperature rise, depending on workload and configuration.
  • AI‑guided, bio‑inspired channel geometries developed with Swiss startup Corintis were used to identify hotspots and direct flow, and a prototype cooled a server running simulated Teams traffic.
  • Details of the liquid coolant were not disclosed and Microsoft says a leak‑proof package is required, with no commitment yet to broad deployment.
  • Potential benefits cited include denser racks, short‑burst overclocking and 3D‑stacked chip designs, and Bloomberg reported Vertiv shares fell as much as 8.4% after the announcement.