Issue #458 | Dow’s 128-Year Legacy: Silicones Powering Breakthroughs in Thermal Management for Chips and Vehicles

Li Dachao (Guest): Yes, regarding our talent acquisition strategy, we have a strong pool of semiconductor professionals—especially those with deep, distinctive insights into semiconductor packaging processes. Such talent enables us to establish efficient communication and technical alignment with industry experts, while also allowing precise technical control over the practical design of thermal interface materials, thanks to their profound understanding of packaging processes. Chip Insights Host Huan Shi (right) in conversation with Li Dachao, Director of Technical Service & R&D, Electronics Business, Asia Pacific, Dow Consumer Solutions (left) Huan Shi (Host): Indeed, the semiconductor industry imposes extremely high requirements—as we previously discussed, many technologies are already approaching the current limits of human technological advancement. Noting that your business unit focuses on the automotive sector, I’d like to ask: Are technical requirements in the automotive industry comparatively less demanding? And what targeted breakthrough strategies has Dow adopted specifically for this sector? Li Dachao (Guest): If you had asked me this question three or five years ago, I might have said yes—because back then, electric vehicles hadn’t yet achieved such widespread popularity, acceptance, or penetration, nor had vehicle intelligence advanced to its current level. Today, however, attending the EAC2025 exhibition reveals an abundance of automotive intelligence solutions, and technologies originally developed for consumer electronics—from chips and LiDAR to various sensors—are rapidly migrating into automotive applications. The technological barriers surrounding powertrain systems are no longer insurmountable; the number of companies capable of R&D in this area has grown significantly. In fact, during the evolution toward intelligent vehicles, cockpit intelligence upgrades and the adoption of automotive AI chips increasingly follow the same technical pathways as consumer-grade and even high-performance computing chips. This convergence is directly accelerating EV product cycles to match smartphone-like iteration rhythms: where once a new generation arrived every five years—or even longer—today’s new models launch as frequently as every six months. In this context, the powertrain is no longer the primary source of differentiation. Instead, the key differentiators lie in vehicle intelligence, cockpit intelligence, and human-machine interaction experiences. Thus, a truly ‘smart’ vehicle has become the central selling point attracting consumers. Dow provides high-performance silicone solutions for diverse applications across six critical domains of intelligent vehicles (Source: Dow Company) Graphene vs. Silicones: Which Should You Choose? Huan Shi (Host): From Dr. Li’s insights, it’s clear the industry is evolving at breakneck speed—and keeping pace is no easy feat. Even material science companies must now continuously innovate. In the past, people often said the materials industry was stable because once you developed a formulation, it could last for years without modification. But today, that mindset is no longer viable. Turning to thermal management materials: graphene is traditionally highlighted in this field, and many domestic companies specialize in graphene-based materials. So, I’d like to ask you a product-focused question: How do silicone-based thermal interface materials compare with graphene in terms of performance, heat dissipation efficiency, electrical insulation, and other key attributes?

ALDC 2024: The 4th Annual Liquid Cooling Industry Conference for Data Centers Successfully Concluded

On October 16, 2024, the ALDC 2024—the 4th Annual Liquid Cooling Industry Conference for Data Centers—was successfully held in Shanghai. Organized under the guidance of the Green Data Center Professional Committee of the Shanghai Energy Conservation & Environmental Protection Service Association, hosted by the Green Data Center Liquid Cooling Working Group (formerly known as the Liquid Cooling Green Data Center Industry Alliance, abbreviated as ALD), co-organized by DCMap, and supported by DTDATA, the conference adopted the theme: 'Riding the Dragon’s Momentum • AI Accelerates Liquid Cooling Innovation for the Future.' With AI advancing rapidly worldwide, demand for data centers and computing power markets has surged explosively. As a pivotal future solution for energy conservation and efficiency improvement, liquid cooling technology is steadily emerging as a focal point across the entire data center industry. As the earliest and only industry exchange platform exclusively dedicated to the liquid cooling segment of data centers, this year’s event brought together leaders and experts from institutions including the Cloud & Big Data Research Institute of China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), the Shanghai Energy Conservation & Environmental Protection Service Association, the Shanghai Energy Efficiency Center, the Singapore Energy Centre, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and the Guangdong Provincial Telecommunications Planning & Design Institute. Also in attendance were industry pioneers such as Dow, ExxonMobil, Shell (China), Hyperfusion, Shanghai Data Harbor, Evonik, Longpan Technology, Oktal Air Conditioning, EOS, Ruihai Photonics, Lanxun Technology, Belimo (China), Bestar Electric, Green Cloud Map, YunKu Intelligent, He Gao Technology, Daopu Chemical, and United Petroleum—as well as end-user representatives from internet giants Tencent, Bilibili, and ByteDance. At the opening ceremony, Mr. Zhang Zhongcheng, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Energy Conservation & Environmental Protection Service Association, delivered the keynote address. He emphasized that this conference serves not only as a vital platform for the development of the liquid cooling industry in data centers but also as an active response to national initiatives promoting energy conservation, emissions reduction, and green development. He expressed his hope that all guests would freely share insights and suggestions to jointly chart a brighter future for the liquid cooling industry. Mr. Zhang Zhongcheng, Secretary-General of the Shanghai Energy Conservation & Environmental Protection Service Association The conference featured dynamic sessions and eight highlights: Highlight 1 Policy Guidance and Macro-Level Discussions Mr. Guo Liang, Chief Engineer of the Cloud & Big Data Research Institute, CAICT: 'Opportunities and Challenges in the Era of Intelligent Computing' In his presentation, Mr. Guo Liang analyzed how AI’s explosive growth is transforming data centers and intensifying competition in the computing power arena. He reviewed global policy trends in intelligent computing infrastructure and explored both opportunities and challenges associated with building intelligent computing centers. Mr. Hou Zhenhuan, Director of Strategic Development, Shanghai Energy Efficiency Center: 'Key Initiatives and Industrial Policies for Carbon Peak in Shanghai’s Emerging Infrastructure Sector' Mr. Hou Zhenhuan presented a detailed analysis of Shanghai’s policies supporting green, low-carbon, and energy-efficient data centers, outlined the city’s roadmap toward carbon peak for data centers, and interpreted how the 'Shanghai Action Plan for Large-Scale Equipment Upgrades and Consumer Goods Replacement (2024–2027)' will drive adoption of liquid cooling technologies. Mr. Liu Guiwu, Secretary-General of the Green Data Center Liquid Cooling Working Group (ALD): '2024 China Intelligent Computing Center Market Development Status and Trend Report'

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