xMEMS Labs, creators of all-silicon micro speakers for earbuds and headphones, plan to roll out the xMEMS XMC-2400 µCooling chip, the company said Tuesday. It noted the 1mm xMEMS fan on a chip is the first all-silicon, active micro-cooling fan for smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices.
“Our revolutionary µCooling ‘fan-on-a-chip’ design comes at a critical time in mobile computing,” said Joseph Jiang, xMEMS CEO and co-founder. “Thermal management in ultra-mobile devices, which are beginning to run even more processor-intensive AI applications, is a massive challenge for manufacturers and consumers. Until XMC-2400, there’s been no active-cooling solution because the devices are so small and thin.”
The company declined to comment on whether it’s in talks with Apple as a client or partner with the new innovation. See our Q&A with xMEMS Labs below.
xMEMS XMC-2400 µCooling chip for mobile devices like smartphones
The new solid-state xMEMS XMC-2400 µCooling chip gives mobile-device manufacturers the ability to add active, silent, vibration-free cooling to smartphones, tablets, handheld gaming controllers and other mobile devices as they become even more resource-intensive to run artificial intelligence (AI) applications, the company said. After all, companies like Apple are poised for an AI arms race on across devices, including mobile — like the impending Apple Intelligence release coming in September with the new iPhone 16 lineup.
“The XMC-2400 measures just 9.26 x 7.6 x 1.08 millimeters and weighs less than 150 milligrams, making it 96 percent smaller and lighter than non-silicon-based, active-cooling alternatives,” the company said. “A single XMC-2400 chip can move up to 39 cubic centimeters of air per second with 1,000Pa of back pressure. The all-silicon solution offers semiconductor reliability, part-to-part uniformity, high robustness, and is IP58 rated.”
And while xMEMS refers to the device as a “fan on a chip,” it’s not quite like a regular fan.
“The XMC-2400 is a piezoMEMS transducer that uses tiny silicon structures oscillating at ultrasonic frequencies to generate pulses of air that create airflow,” Mike Housholder, xMEMS VP of Marketing and Business Development, told Cult of Mac. “It is more efficient than a conventional fan in several ways.” See more of our Q&A below.
Available in early 2025
Photo: xMEMS
xMEMS µCooling comes out of the same fabrication process as the xMEMS Cypress full-range micro speaker for ANC in-ear wireless earbuds, which enters production in Q2 2025 with several customers already committed to the device, the company said. (And it’s working on over-ear headphones, too). xMEMS plans to demo the new XMC-2400 cooling chip at live events in Asia in September and offer samples to customers in early 2025.
“We brought MEMS micro speakers to the consumer electronics market and have shipped more than half a million speakers in the first 6 months of 2024,” Jiang said. “With µCooling, we are changing people’s perception of thermal management. The XMC-2400 is designed to actively cool even the smallest handheld form factors, enabling the thinnest, most high-performance, AI-ready mobile devices. It’s hard to imagine tomorrow’s smartphones and other thin, performance-oriented devices without xMEMS µCooling technology.”
Cult of Mac Q&A with xMEMS Labs on XMC-2400 µCooling chip (xMEMS fan on a chip)
Photo: xMEMS
Cult of Mac spoke with Housholder a bit more about the new development.
Q: Are you preparing and selling this as a ready-made solution for all mobile-device makers to use?
A: With the flexibility of our silicon solution, we expect to engage customers in multiple ways. First, we expect the current XMC-2400 to be a ready-fit for several customers and applications. Second, we see opportunities to work with select customers on custom silicon solutions designed to specific needs. Lastly, we expect to engage with leading systems, silicon, and packaging partners on system-in-package solutions that integrate our µCooling technology.
Q: Is there any discussion with Apple? How important a client/partner could it be with this innovation?
A: Unfortunately we are unable to speak about any specific customer engagements at this time.
Q: What are several examples of mobile devices where this is an important upgrade (just a comment on smartphones and a few other examples)?
A: Smartphones, tablets, wireless charging pads, SSDs, and handheld gaming devices are all examples of thin mobile products that need active cooling solutions in order to function to their full potential as OEMs continue packing these devices with advanced capabilities, including GenAI.
Q: What defines “active cooling” at this level? Is it just that it’s fan-based?
A: Yes, active cooling assumes a powered cooling system. Devices like smartphones typically utilize only passive cooling methods (heat spreading materials and vapor chambers) to spread heat across the real estate of the device. There is nothing to physically expel the heat from the device.
While xMEMS µCooling technology generates airflow, its method of operation is quite different to a fan. The XMC-2400 is a piezoMEMS transducer that uses tiny silicon structures oscillating at ultrasonic frequencies to generate pulses of air that create airflow. It is more efficient than a conventional fan in several ways: 1) it is silent; inaudible operation 2) it generates significantly higher back pressure than conventional fans enabling flexible placement away from an ambient air source.
Source: xMEMS Labs
