As AI compute platforms shift from GPUs to customized ASICs, advancements in high-density racks and 3D IC packaging drive up both power consumption and thermal density. This progression expands cooling challenges from individual cold plates to rack-level fluid management, system verification, and in-package thermal resistance. Industry trends indicate that while chip-level thermal designs remain highly customized, rack-level architectures are moving toward standardization via shared interfaces and verification protocols. Furthermore, as HBM and logic chips are stacked closer together, thermal management must be integrated earlier in the chip and packaging design phases.

Key Highlights

• As AI compute platforms expand from GPUs to include custom ASICs, high-density racks and 3D IC packaging are driving up both power consumption and thermal density.
• Cooling challenges now extend beyond individual cold plates to rack-level fluid management, system verification, and in-package thermal resistance.
• Chip-level thermal design remains largely customized, while rack-level infrastructure is becoming more standardized through shared interfaces, with system-level validation remaining critical for deployment.
• As HBM and logic dies move toward higher-density and vertical stacking, thermal management must be incorporated earlier into chip and package design.

Table of Contents

1. As Liquid Cooling Scales, Competition Shifts from Cooling Components to Rack-Level Systems
2. Heterogeneous Computing Redefines Liquid Cooling Boundaries: Chip-Level Customization Coexists with Rack-Level Standardization
   • Figure 1: Chip-Level Customization and Rack-Level Standardization in Tiered Liquid Cooling Architecture for Heterogeneous Computing
3. 3DIC Increases Thermal Density for Packaging; Thermal Design Extends Further into Chips and Packaging
   • Figure 2: Structural Comparison of Conventional Cold Plates and SK hynix’s iHBM Cooling Solution
   • Figure 3: Comparison between Rack-Grade Liquid Cooling and 3DIC Cooling
4. TRI’s View

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