As demand for 5G mobile phones increases, the vapor chamber (VC) is emerging to become a key component in 5G smartphone thermal management. Competition is keen among vapor chamber suppliers, and there are at least more than 50 companies involved in this market segment. The ability to provide ultra-thin devices with high yield in mass production is the key to achieving technology leadership and gaining trust from international mobile phone brands.
The thickness of VC devices in mass production now by major thermal module makers is at 0.4mm and 0.35mm. But the trend of design has been following smartphone brands' requirements for thinner VC devices with better performance. As a result, vapor chamber makers will be facing a very tough challenge attempting to fabricate ultra-thin high-performance devices.
NeoGene Tech, a company headquartered in Guangzhou, China, has been devoted to revolutionizing the way of making ultra-thin vapor chamber devices for 5G smartphone applications. It has unveiled its patented MagicWick-Inside Technology Platform.
MagicWick-Inside VC adopts the MagicWick structure and PWS (Print Wick Structuring) approach. By adopting PWS as well as MagicWick-Inside Technology Platform, vapor chamber devices with thickness of less than 0.3mm can be easily made with high efficiency wick structure and device performance.
Wick structuring is recognized as a critical issue in ultra-thin vapor chamber fabrication once the device thickness is required to be reduced to only 0.25mm or even 0.2mm to meet further system application needs. The anti-gravity capillary force and the deployment of the wick structure inside an ultra-thin vapor chamber device are very critical to enabling good functionality of the device. Once the spacing in a vapor chamber is at a super narrow level, it will be very difficult for the traditional way of making copper-mesh type wick structure to achieve good capillary force and device performance.
Furthermore, handling ultra-thin copper-mesh to make a complex-shape wick structure is also a tough and inefficient process in making vapor chamber devices. It results in a very low yield rate in volume production for vapor chambers with thickness under 0.3mm.
According to NeoGene Tech, the MagicWick structure made by MagicWick Paste and PWS approach has excellent anti-gravity capillary force that quickens the transporting of the liquid phase and vapor phase of working fluids among condensers and evaporators, enhancing the thermal performance of the vapor chamber device. The thickness and porosity of the wick structure can be also precisely controlled at a very thin level by leveraging automatic stencil printing and sintering process as well as material characteristic of the Magic Paste.
A brand new business model for vapor chamber devices manufacturing in the 5G smartphone supply chain, called PWS Foundry Service, will be launched by NeoGene Tech and its strategic partner in early 2021 to serve thermal module companies looking to volume-produce ultra-thin MagicWick-Inside VC devices. Furthermore, a MagicWick-Inside Technology Platform patent licensing program will be made available to VC device manufacturers as well, according to Jeffrey Chen, CEO of NeoGene Tech.
According to Digitimes Research's latest findings, China's consumer market recovered in the second quarter of 2020, with the four major smartphone brands doubling their quarterly shipments, and launching at least 28 new 5G phone models, fueling shipment momentum. In addition, mainstream foreign brands will also be active next year to implement 0.3mm and even 0.25mm ultra-thin vapor chambers to meet application needs.
NeoGene Tech unveils MagicWick-Inside Technology Platform for fabricating ultra-thin vapor chamber device used in 5G smartphone thermal management applications
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