MEMS cooling for world’s fastest compact SSD ...

Jun 26, 2023

The Phison PS5026-E26 PCIe Gen5 SSD controller is actively cooled with 2 AirJet Mini coolers from Frore. This enables the most powerful device in its class with 14,175MB/s sustained sequential read performance and over 1000MB/s PCMark 10 Storage Tests performance, a world first for a NAND-based M.2 SSD.

The AirJet coolers support a dustproof form-factor that is half the size and weight of existing drives with heat removal that is completely independent of the system level thermal design.

In addition to enhanced performance for data intensive workloads like CAD & CAM, the E26 AirJet enabled system can also support the latest computer games featuring DirectStorage, currently shipping in Forspoken and Portal: Prelude RTX. DirectStorage provides deliver lower load times and more graphic detail while eliminating unnecessary load scenes used to mask data processing. However, these innovations create a lot more heat, which is why Phison has collaborated with Frore Systems.

Gamers have previously had to use expensive liquid cooling systems, or rely on noisy mechanical fans or bulky ineffective heat sinks to remove heat generated by the ever-increasing gaming workloads. These inadequate thermal approaches cause systems to rapidly overheat, forcing reduced performance, throttling after only a few seconds of operation, preventing gamers from getting the full performance.

The AirJet Mini is 2.8mm thick and 27.5mm x 41.5mm in size and weighs only 11 grams. AirJet is also scalable, with additional heat removal achievable by simply adding more AirJet chips. Each chip removes 5W of heat, and the integration of multiple chips means two chips can remove 10W, three chips 15W and so on. AirJet’s compact size and scalable nature means manufacturers can adopt the heat removal technology in a wide range of applications, enabling increased performance in faster, thinner, lighter, silent, and dustproof devices.

“Phison has been a great collaborator with Frore Systems, demonstrating how AirJet is revolutionizing the SSD industry,” said Dr. Seshu Madhavapeddy, founder and CEO of Frore Systems. “Until AirJet, heat removal was the only aspect of modern-day technology that hadn’t changed in decades. Phison’s latest E26 system with AirJet delivers maximum sustained performance in a slim form factor without reliance on system level cooling, illustrating the major performance improvements AirJet is bringing to the entire SSD industry.”

“Phison is ecstatic to be showcasing product performance milestones for the industry, our partners and customers because we are committed and dedicated to engineering next generation technologies through ecosystem excellence,” said Michael Wu, GM & President of Phison Technology Inc. (USA). “Leveraging AirJet, a truly groundbreaking innovation in thermal solutions, we are continuing our legacy of leaning into technology that can bring enhanced experiences to market.”

Phison is a contributor to JEDEC, PCI-SIG, MIPI, NVMe and IEEE-SA working groups.

phison.com; froresystems.com