A thermal management and miniaturization solution for the latest 5G-compatible electronic devices

Vapor Chamber

Vapor Chambers are a type of "metal heat-dissipating component" similar to heat pipes, with the ability to instantly transfer heat by the vaporization and condensation of liquids. Compared to the graphite sheets commonly used in thin electronic devices, they have a higher thermal conductivity and can diffuse and dissipate that heat in an instant. As 5G compatible devices are anticipated to become more widespread, there is a need for heat dissipation solutions for electronics such as application processors and integrated circuits used for communication due to the increase in the data processing of those high-capacity, and high-speed communications. Vapor Chambers are expected to play an active role as a solution for the heat management of miniaturized electronic devices for which thinner, high-performance, power-saving thermal components are required. DNP has achieved the development of a thin Vapor Chamber that incorporates high thermal conductivity, and the flexibility to be applied to uniquely shaped spaces.

Special features of DNP's Vapor Chamber

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DNP's Vapor Chamber

Working principle of a Vapor Chamber (Cooling system)

Working principle of a Vapor Chamber (Cooling system)

①The working fluid which is sealed inside (pure water) evaporates when heated.
②The evaporated working fluid (vapor) flows through the chamber, and the heat is diffused.
③The diffused vapor is cooled and becomes liquid again (condensation).
④The liquified working fluid is returned to the heat source through capillary action.
(Steps 1 - 4 are repeated continuously)

The Vapor Chamber is a hollow structure comprised of flat metal plates affixed together, with a capillary tube called a "wick" spanning across, and a working liquid such as pure water sealed inside. The way it lowers the internal temperature of the device is by diffusing heat by means of a repetitive of the process where a heat-generating component such as an IC becomes hot enough for the sealed liquid to evaporate, spread out over the space inside the chamber, and then condense back into a liquid again.

How it differs from other heat dissipating components

Heat Sink

Advantages:
Low cost and good heat dissipation.
Drawbacks:
Low thermal conductivity, heavy and voluminous (making it difficult to miniaturize or make thinner), and if the material is metal, there is a risk of a short-circuit due to its conductivity.

Heat Pipe

Advantages:
Extremely high thermal conductivity.
Drawbacks:
They require a certain degree of thickness due to their structure (making them difficult to make thinner), they lose efficiency if the heat source is located in a high position, and they are unable to diffuse heat over a wide area by themselves due to their round (pipe) shape.

Graphite Sheet

Advantages:
Lightweight, can be made extremely thin, flexible, and they function as an electromagnetic shield.
Drawbacks:
Low thermal conductivity compared to heat pipes and Vapor Chambers, the amount of heat they can carry is low, and they are conductive, so there is a risk that fine powder like substances from the sheets can affect electronic circuits.

Vapor Chamber

Advantages:
Extremely high thermal conductivity, the amount of heat they can carry (heat transportability) is very large, and they can be made to be thin. Even when the heat source is located in a high position, they do not lose efficiency (compared to heat pipes). Due to their flat shape, they can instantly spread heat over a wide area.
Drawbacks:
Higher cost relative to other heat dissipating components.

Special features of DNP's Vapor Chamber

The "Thin Vapor Chamber" developed by DNP has a higher thermal conductivity than graphite sheets, has a thinner profile than heat pipes, and can be flexibly formed making it the optimal component for the thermal management of thin devices.

Special features of DNP's Vapor Chamber

■High thermal conductivity
High thermal conductivity and heat transportability by gas-liquid phase change.
※Around 4000~10,000W/m/K

■Can be made especially thin
Achieved a thickness of 0.20mm.

■Flexibility
Can be applied to components with curved or graded surfaces.

DNP's flexible Vapor Chamber
DNP's flexible Vapor Chamber

By taking advantage of the "flexibly bendable" special characteristics of DNP's Vapor Chamber, not only can it be applied to conventional mainstream thin devices, it can also be flexibly applied to devices with complex shapes.
In the case of smart glasses for example, in addition to the CPUs which do data processing, it is also necessary to implement thermal management in several other areas such as the displays, sensors, and batteries. Each of these are assumed to require heat dissipation components to be installed in extremely narrow and oddly shaped spaces, and it is considered very possible that DNP's Vapor Chamber will able to excel at this task.

Anticipated future applications

Thermal management in oddly shaped spaces such as for wearable devices

In order for 5G compatible devices to handle large amounts of data, it is necessary to employ high-efficiency heat dissipation components. Additionally, it is expected that there will be many cases where the spaces in which the heat dissipating components need to be installed will be extremely narrow and non-linear, so the required heat dissipating components must be able to flexibly conform to different shapes depending on the parts of the body where they are worn.
DNP's Vapor Chamber, equipped with both high thermal conductivity and flexibility, is considered to be the ideal component for the heat management of wearable devices.

Heat dissipation to achieve device miniaturization

There's no better path forward to reduce the size of existing products than to reduce the space used by heat dissipation components. DNP's Vapor Chamber can provide great heat dissipation using a minimum amount of space. Also, since it can be used without a power supply, the lack of a fan greatly contributes to device miniaturization and reducing power consumption.

Heat dissipation for power semiconductors for mobility products

One of the main challenges faced by electrically powered mobility products is that they have a relatively short cruising range. In order to extend this range, not only is the battery of course important, but so is the inverter that controls the motor. Power semiconductors, which are key components of these devices, are evolving at a rapid pace. Even though the new generation of power semiconductors which use new materials deal with heat better than conventional ones, heat dissipation measures cannot be avoided. Vapor Chambers are expected to be the perfect fit for heat dissipation components for power semiconductors because they can diffuse heat efficiently even in tight spaces while at the same time being lightweight.

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Please feel free to fill out the contact form below for price quotes or technical consultation on Vapor Chambers. Provision of simulations or samples will be considered on a case-by-case basis after receiving details about your request in advance. Please also contact us if you would like to know more about prototyping costs or lead times.

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