The hottest problem in tech may have a diamond solution
Engineers are embedding synthetic diamonds into computer chips to combat the massive energy waste plaguing data centers, as companies rush to build infrastructure for artificial intelligence models that consume electricity at unprecedented rates.
More than half of all energy in chips is wasted as heat leaking from transistors, according to R. Martin Roscheisen, an electrical engineer at Diamond Foundry . This heat shortens chip lifespans, reduces efficiency, and forces data centres to spend enormous resources on cooling systems. Now, researchers are turning to an unlikely material to solve this crisis: diamond.
Diamond conducts heat several times faster than copper, the material traditionally used in chip cooling systems , notes Paul May, a physical chemist at the University of Bristol . The secret lies in diamond's atomic structure—each carbon atom bonds strongly to four neighbours, creating efficient pathways for heat to travel through the crystal.
When gemstones become technology
Companies are now manufacturing diamond layers specifically for chip cooling. Diamond Foundry grows four-inch synthetic diamond disks using carbon-rich plasma, then polishes them to atomic smoothness—no defect larger than a single atom across the entire surface. These wafers attach directly to chips, eliminating hot spots that plague conventional designs.
Element Six , the industrial division of diamond giant De Beers, has developed a copper-diamond hybrid that balances performance with affordability. The material targets next-generation AI chips that generate unprecedented heat loads, potentially extending their lifespans while slashing cooling costs, the company's business development head Bruce Bolliger told the Times.
The AI arms race meets physics
The urgency has intensified as chipmakers hit physical barriers in shrinking transistors. Srabanti Chowdhury, an electrical engineer at Stanford University , is exploring diamond layers to enable vertical transistor stacking—a promising approach that generates even more problematic heat.
Her research, partly funded by DARPA , focuses on growing diamonds at temperatures low enough not to damage silicon foundations. "The problem of heat was already there, but now that the growth really came with A.I., it's like a hockey stick," Chowdhury told the Times.
Within a few years, even home computers and mobile phones will likely include diamond heat-spreaders, according to Dr. May. However, the technology hasn't yet proven itself commercially, and researchers continue working to make production more affordable and scalable for mass-market applications.
More than half of all energy in chips is wasted as heat leaking from transistors, according to R. Martin Roscheisen, an electrical engineer at Diamond Foundry . This heat shortens chip lifespans, reduces efficiency, and forces data centres to spend enormous resources on cooling systems. Now, researchers are turning to an unlikely material to solve this crisis: diamond.
Diamond conducts heat several times faster than copper, the material traditionally used in chip cooling systems , notes Paul May, a physical chemist at the University of Bristol . The secret lies in diamond's atomic structure—each carbon atom bonds strongly to four neighbours, creating efficient pathways for heat to travel through the crystal.
When gemstones become technology
Element Six , the industrial division of diamond giant De Beers, has developed a copper-diamond hybrid that balances performance with affordability. The material targets next-generation AI chips that generate unprecedented heat loads, potentially extending their lifespans while slashing cooling costs, the company's business development head Bruce Bolliger told the Times.
The AI arms race meets physics
The urgency has intensified as chipmakers hit physical barriers in shrinking transistors. Srabanti Chowdhury, an electrical engineer at Stanford University , is exploring diamond layers to enable vertical transistor stacking—a promising approach that generates even more problematic heat.
Her research, partly funded by DARPA , focuses on growing diamonds at temperatures low enough not to damage silicon foundations. "The problem of heat was already there, but now that the growth really came with A.I., it's like a hockey stick," Chowdhury told the Times.
Within a few years, even home computers and mobile phones will likely include diamond heat-spreaders, according to Dr. May. However, the technology hasn't yet proven itself commercially, and researchers continue working to make production more affordable and scalable for mass-market applications.
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