GE’s Global Research Center, which claims to work toward finding answers to some of the world’s toughest problems, recently demonstrated an advanced thermal material system, which can go a long way to speed up computing and replace copper as a cooling material for electronic devices.
In a press release, the electronic major claimed that the new system, which leverages technologies developed under GE’s Nanotechnology Advanced Technology Program will pave the way for faster computing and higher performing electronic systems. The new thermal material system includes a prototype substrate that can cool electronic devices such as a laptop computer twice than that of copper, revealed the company in its release.
For its favorable heat conducting properties, copper has always been preferred as a cooling material for electronic systems. But today’s advanced and complicated devices are generating more heat than ever and too much heat is tending to restrict the overall performance of these systems. This in turn is affecting the computing speed and processing power.
Dr. Tao Deng, senior scientist at GE Global Research and the project leader explained that GE’s prototype operated in conditions experiencing more than 10 times the normal force of gravity. By comparison, this gravity force is more than twice the maximum force experienced on the world’s fastest roller coasters.
“As electronics become more advanced, we are approaching the point where conventional materials like copper can’t take the heat. For computing to go faster and electronics systems to become more capable, better cooling solutions such as GE’s prototype substrate will be required to allow this to happen,” Deng said in a statement.
“In demonstrations, GE’s prototype substrate has functioned effectively in a variety of electronics application environments. We also subjected it to harsh conditions during testing and found it could successfully operate in extremely high gravity applications,” Deng added,” Deng added.
In November 2010, GE announced to invest $500 million to expand its operations in Brazil and to accelerate technology partnerships with leading Brazilian companies spanning multiple industries. Part of the investment was to be utilized for setting up the $100 million Brazil Global Research Center on the Ilha do Bom Jesus peninsula and, when fully operational, will employ 200 researchers and engineers.
Madhubanti Rudra is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
