xMEMS Extends µCooling Fan-on-a-Chip to SSDs

xMEMS Labs, Inc., inventor of the world’s first monolithic silicon MEMS air pump, announced the expansion of its µCooling fan-on-a-chip platform to SSDs, enabling the first-ever in-drive active cooling for enterprise E3.S form factor SSDs used in AI data centers and NVMe M.2 SSDs used in laptop PCs.

Traditionally, SSD thermal management has relied on passive heat spreaders and ambient airflow from system fans, which often fall short in managing the intense, sustained workloads common in AI, HPC, and modern computing environments. As SSD speeds push well beyond 7GB/s, thermal throttling remains a performance barrier. xMEMS µCooling addresses this by delivering hyper-localized active cooling directly to NAND flash and controller ICs from within the SSD itself.

“SSDs are the data highways of modern computing — but when they overheat, everything slows down,” said Mike Housholder, VP, marketing, xMEMS Labs. “µCooling is the only active solution small enough to live inside the SSD, delivering thermal relief exactly where it’s needed to prevent throttling and maintain peak data rates.”

In AI data centers, SSDs in E3.S form factors routinely operate at 9.5W TDP or higher, generating thermal hotspots in compact, dense racks. Thermal modeling with µCooling integrated has shown: 3W of heat removal capability; >18% average temperature reduction; and >25% lower thermal resistance.

This allows drives to sustain high-speed I/O without performance degradation, extending device reliability and improving throughput in critical AI/ML workloads.

In consumer laptop PCs, NVMe M.2 SSDs often reach thermal limits during large file transfers, sustained writes, or gaming workloads – especially in fanless ultrathin devices. Thermal modeling with µCooling integration has shown: Average 30-50% power overhead allowance; >20% temperature reduction; 30% lower thermal resistance; and 30% lower ∆T (temperature rise above ambient).

These improvements translate to fewer thermal slowdowns and higher sustained performance in even the most compact devices.

According to research firm IDC, the market for SSDs is expected to grow 21.9% CAGR through 2028, driven by increased demand for data centers, edge solutions, AI infrastructure, and consumer devices.

“With µCooling, SSD designers can finally implement true active thermal management without enlarging the drive or depending on system airflow,” added Housholder. “It’s a breakthrough for both hyperscale servers and ultraportable PCs.”

xMEMS µCooling’s solid-state, piezoMEMS design includes no motors or moving bearings, therefore no mechanical wear, enabling maintenance-free reliability and high-volume manufacturability. Its compact footprint, as small as 9.3×7.6×1.13mm, and scalable architecture make it ideal for use in a wide range of electronic systems.

µCooling samples are available now, with volume production beginning Q1 2026.