[News] Huawei Released SiC Thermal Management Technology Patents

Huawei has recently disclosed two patents related to silicon carbide (SiC) thermal management technologies: “Thermal Conductive Composition and Its Preparation Method and Application” and “A Thermal Conductive and Wave-Absorbing Composition and Its Application.”

The first patent outlines a thermal conductive composition comprising a base material and thermal conductive fillers. These fillers include both large and small particles, with the particle size ratio exceeding 3:1. Crucially, the large fillers contain SiC particles with a sphericity above 0.8. This structure enhances the flowability of the composition while delivering superior thermal conductivity, addressing the demand for high-performance thermal management materials in electronic devices.

The second patent introduces a thermal conductive and wave-absorbing composition consisting of an organic matrix, thermal fillers, and wave-absorbing fillers. The thermal fillers include large and small particles, with the large particles made of high-purity SiC (≥99%) featuring sphericity above 0.8. The wave-absorbing fillers comprise spherical and flaky carbonyl iron. The combination of SiC with carbonyl iron not only improves thermal conductivity and fluidity but also provides strong electromagnetic wave absorption, making the material well-suited for next-generation electronic applications.

SiC has emerged as a promising material for chip thermal management, boasting a thermal conductivity of up to 500 W/mK—far exceeding silicon (150 W/mK) and ceramic substrates (200–230 W/mK). Its thermal expansion coefficient is also well-matched with semiconductor materials, making it ideal for dissipating heat in high-power AI chips.

The need for advanced cooling has become critical as AI chips grow more power-intensive. NVIDIA’s GPU, for example, has seen their power consumption rise from 700W to 1,400W, with projections suggesting future models could approach 2,000W.

It’s reported that NVIDIA plans to adopt SiC as the interposer substrate in its next-generation Rubin processors, replacing silicon to significantly enhance heat dissipation. Large-scale adoption of SiC substrates is expected to begin in 2027.

(Photo credit: Huawei)