HEXAspec

HEXAspec: Making Waves in Houston and Beyond! ?? We’ve been in stealth mode recently while our founders took a well-deserved family trip. However, HEXAspec’s momentum hasn’t slowed down—we’ve been actively participating in Houston’s vibrant founder community and beyond. Here’s a look at what we’ve been up to: ???September Highlights: Proudly joined the grand opening of?Energy Tech Nexus?as a member of their community, connecting with innovators shaping the future. Attended the?Houston Energy and Climate Startup Week, a fantastic opportunity to meet local founders and explore Houston’s climate-forward solutions. ???October Achievements: Honored to receive the?One Small Step Grant?(second cycle) and celebrated at their awards luncheon. Participated in?Deeptech Day, hosted by Rice Innovation, where we pitched our vision to Houston-based VCs and investors. ???November Inspiration: Attended the?Houston InnovationMap Awards, celebrating alongside talented individuals and organizations driving progress and innovation in our community. It was inspiring to witness the brilliance of innovators shaping Houston’s entrepreneurial landscape. Last week, our co-founders visited the?Micron Technology Center, exploring state-of-the-art chip manufacturing processes and cutting-edge fabs. We’re grateful for the opportunities to connect, learn, and share our mission to revolutionize semiconductor heat management with next-gen materials. Stay tuned—exciting updates are on the horizon! #HEXAspec #StartupJourney #InnovationEcosystem #HoustonTech

?? We’re entering the Angstrom Era of semiconductor manufacturing! ?? As technology continues to evolve, even nanometers aren’t small enough anymore for the next generation of chips. Leading-edge semiconductor manufacturing is stepping into the angstrom scale, and the U.S. is making bold moves to lead the way. The Biden-Harris Administration has awarded TSMC Arizona up to $6.6 billion in direct funding under the CHIPS Incentives Program to support its $65 billion investment in building three cutting-edge semiconductor fabs in Phoenix, Arizona. This initiative is a cornerstone of the broader effort to strengthen the U.S. semiconductor industry, create high-paying jobs, and secure the country’s leadership in advanced chip technology. The new fabs will manufacture leading-edge chips (such as A16 technology) used in critical sectors like AI, high-performance computing, 5G/6G smartphones, and autonomous vehicles. Source: U.S. Department of Commerce Press Release on Nov 15, 2024 https://lnkd.in/eHSbA8Di

?? Big News from Intel! ?? Intel has launched Fab 9 in New Mexico, part of a $3.5 billion investment in advanced semiconductor packaging. This state-of-the-art facility, featuring Intel's Foveros 3D packaging technology, enables flexible integration of multiple chips optimized for power, performance, and cost. Fab 9 enhances supply chain resilience and economies of scale, marking Intel's first U.S. site for mass production of 3D advanced packaging. It also creates a significant local economic impact in New Mexico. #Semiconductors #Innovation #Manufacturing #Intel #Technology https://lnkd.in/g9nqsTT2

?? Reducing Semiconductor Emissions: A Strategic Plan ?? Boston Consulting Group (BCG) has unveiled an insightful plan to address the environmental impact of the semiconductor industry. As demand for semiconductors surges, so does their carbon footprint, making it crucial to adopt sustainable practices. Key strategies highlighted include: ?? Optimizing Energy Efficiency: Implementing advanced manufacturing techniques to reduce energy consumption. ?? Adopting Renewable Energy: Transitioning to renewable energy sources to power semiconductor fabs. ?? Innovating Material Use: Developing and utilizing materials with a lower environmental impact. semiconductor industry can significantly reduce its emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future. HEXAspec is dedicated to developing next-generation packaging materials to help the semiconductor industry significantly reduce its emissions and contribute to a more sustainable future. #Sustainability #Semiconductors #GreenTech #ClimateAction #Innovation https://lnkd.in/gH8BKvHa

Teamwork is the most crucial factor for a successful startup. This week, HEXAspec members Chen-Yang Lin, Tianshu Zhai, Jing Zhang gathered in the Bay Area to connect with incredible industry mentors, investors, and lawyers. These interactions allowed us to dive deeper into our problem space, technology, and overall business strategy. Throughout this summer, HEXAspec will focus on enhancing our industrial-grade prototype and taking our technology to the next level. Exciting times ahead!

?? The AI chips competition is heating up! Nvidia has just unveiled its next-generation AI chips, only months after their last launch. ?? CEO Jensen Huang introduced the new AI chip architecture, "Rubin," ahead of the COMPUTEX tech conference in Taipei. Huang has committed to a faster release cycle, shifting from a two-year to a one-year timeline. The "Rubin" model will follow the "Blackwell" model, which is expected to ship later this year. ?? With competitors like AMD, Intel, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon striving to catch up, the race for AI dominance is intensifying. During this computing power boom, heat management is becoming a critical issue. #Nvidia #AI #TechNews #Innovation #AIChips https://lnkd.in/d7BYPgku

?? Breaking 200+ Customer Interviews! One key lesson we've learned from our mentor, Fernando Gómez-Baquero Ph.D., in the National Science Foundation (NSF) I-Corps program is that customer interviews are never-ending. This summer, HEXAspec is continuing our customer research at ITherm under IEEE in Denver ?? ! Semiconductor chip packaging is finally becoming "sexy" as it’s a powerful technique to overcome thermal challenges and unlock future computing power. However, packaging is complex and interdisciplinary, requiring the interaction of various areas, as shown in the figure. To enable the vision of the CHIPS Research and Development Office, the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP) will invest approximately $3 billion in critical innovations. This includes the development of an Advanced Packaging Piloting Facility (APPF) to advance packaging technologies and accelerate their scaled transition in the U.S. #semiconductor #CHIPS #thermalmanagement #IEEE #ITherm2024

?? Yesterday once more ?? Heat management has always been a challenge for Samsung. Nine years ago, they lost most of their iPhone chip manufacturing orders to TSMC due to a 4-degree higher surface temperature. Now, Samsung Electronics' latest high bandwidth memory (HBM) chips are facing significant challenges in passing Nvidia's tests due to similar issues related to heat and power consumption. These problems impact both their fourth-generation HBM3 and fifth-generation HBM3E chips, which are critical for GPUs in artificial intelligence applications. Concerns are mounting within the industry and among investors about Samsung potentially falling behind competitors SK Hynix and Micron in the HBM market. Reflecting these worries, Samsung recently replaced the head of its semiconductor unit. GPU manufacturers like Nvidia and AMD are eager for Samsung to perfect its HBM chips to offer more vendor options and reduce SK Hynix's pricing power. #advancedpackaging #semiconductor #Samsung #thermalmanagement https://lnkd.in/e__vjB7z

??Advanced Packaging Matters?? Highlighted by Commerce Secretary Gina M. Raimondo, advanced packaging is central to the US government’s efforts to rejuvenate American semiconductor manufacturing. Amkor Technology, Inc. is investing approximately $2 billion to build an advanced packaging and test facility in Peoria, Arizona, expected to employ around 2,000 people upon completion. This new facility, set to be the largest outsourced advanced packaging facility in the US, aims to enhance America's advanced packaging capabilities and support the growth of the US semiconductor supply chain. It will provide high-volume, cutting-edge technologies for critical markets such as high-performance computing, automotive, and communications. Additionally, Amkor has applied for CHIPS funding under the CHIPS and Science Act to enhance US competitiveness, innovation, and national security in the semiconductor industry. #advancedpackaging #semiconductor #thermalmanagement #CHIPS https://lnkd.in/gp_snSxv

??Reshaping data center cooling technology?? Data centers, driven by high-performance hardware like GPUs, generate significant heat during operations. As the demand for data centers is set to double in the U.S. by 2030, there's an urgent call for cooling innovations to keep pace. Currently, data centers are transitioning from traditional air cooling methods to liquid cooling, and even exploring future immersion cooling options. These advancements offer improved heat dissipation capabilities while also reducing energy and water consumption. Furthermore, there's an anticipation of changes in chip packaging materials to better protect the chips and align with upcoming cooling methods. ???? #DataCenter #CoolingInnovations #Sustainability #TechnologyTransformation https://lnkd.in/gk5sejnG