Sustainable Silicon

At Tigard Semiconductors Inc., we recognize that the greatest barrier to the AI revolution isn't just logic—it’s heat. Our Sustainable Silicon initiative has successfully achieved a landmark 25% reduction in thermal output compared to 2024 industry benchmarks, effectively redefining the performance-per-watt equation for the 2nm era. By engineering our chips to run cooler, we enable data centers to slash cooling-related energy costs while allowing consumer devices to maintain peak performance without the need for aggressive thermal throttling. This reduction is the cornerstone of our commitment to building hardware that scales responsibly.

This breakthrough is driven by the transition to Gate-All-Around (GAA) nanosheet transistors and the implementation of Backside Power Delivery (BSPDN). By surrounding the transistor channel on all four sides, our GAA architecture provides superior electrostatic control, drastically reducing the leakage current that traditionally dissipates as wasted heat.

Relocating the power delivery network to the reverse side of the wafer further optimizes the chip's thermal profile by separating signal and power pathways, minimizing the resistive heating that has plagued traditional front-side delivery designs.

To manage the heat that remains, Tigard has pioneered the integration of microfluidic cooling channels directly within the silicon interposer. This "circulatory system" for silicon routes dielectric coolant within micrometers of active hot spots, achieving thermal dissipation rates that far exceed conventional air or cold-plate solutions.

Combined with our proprietary Liquid-Phase Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs), which utilize a graphene-suspended metal matrix, we have bridged the gap between the die and the heat sink, ensuring that even the most demanding AI workloads stay within a safe and sustainable temperature envelope.

Finally, our vision of sustainability extends beyond the chip and into the very floors of our 100% US-based fabrication facilities. We employ a closed-loop circular water system that recovers 98% of the ultrapure water used during the lithography and etching processes, significantly reducing the environmental footprint of our domestic operations. By aligning our sub-2nm manufacturing with carbon-neutral energy sourcing and advanced material recycling, Tigard Semiconductors is proving that the future of high-performance compute doesn't have to come at the expense of our planet’s resources.

Efficiency in Motion: Thermal Impact on the A-Series

The $25\%$ reduction in thermal output isn't just a win for the environment; it is a transformative upgrade for the end-user. By minimizing wasted energy, we have successfully extended the operational envelope of our mobile and edge devices. When a chip runs cooler, it requires less power to achieve the same clock speeds, and the battery is no longer taxed by the high internal resistance caused by heat.

Below is a comparison of how the Tigard A-14 "Apex" performs against 2024 industry standards in real-world scenarios: