The SEMI-THERM 42 Symposium was held March 9-12, 2026 at the Double Tree Hotel in San Jose, CA. Program organization was led by General Chair Dr. Navid Kazem (Arieca), Program Chair Dr. Claire Wemp (Qnity), and Program Vice Chair Dr. Mohamed Abo-Ras (Nanotest). It featured technical short courses, technical sessions, invited presentations, vendor exhibits and workshops, a panel discussion, and a luncheon talk.
Short courses
Four short courses were held on Monday, March 10. These courses were offered:
- “Direct to Chip Liquid Cooling in Data Centers with Pumped Two- Phase Refrigerants: Fundamentals and Design Practices”, taught by Prof. Alfonso Ortega of Villanova University.
- “Two-Phase Science Becoming Reality: Discover Real Use Cases which are Shaping Tomorrow’s Thermal World”, taught by Olivier de Laet and Hülya Geçim of Calyos.
- “Efficient Thermo-Mechanical Simulations Using Compact Models”, taught by Prof. Tamara Bechtold of Jade University, Germany.
- “Thermal Contact Resistances and Thermal Interface Materials”, taught by Ross Wilcoxon of Collins Aerospace
Technical Conference
From Tuesday, March 11 to Thursday, March 13, the technical conference featured 39 presentations across six tracks and nine sessions, including: Liquid Cooling, Modeling, High Performance Computing, Testing and Measurement Methods, Thermal Interface Materials, and Assorted Topics.
In addition, a special honorarium session was organized by Al Ortega to highlight the contributions of the late Robert Moffat and Clemens Lasance through presentations from academics on the following topics:
- “Thermal Measurements in Single and Two-Phase Cooling Systems for AI-Factories: In Honor of Prof. Robert J. Moffat,” Alfonso Ortega, James R. Birle Endowed Chair Professor, Villanova University
- “Measurement-Driven Thermal Metrology and Two-Phase Cooling Mechanisms in High-Power Electronics,” Damena Agonafer, Associate Professor and Clark Faculty Fellow, University of Maryland
- “Development of an Energy Efficient (and High-Performance) Capillary-based Two-Phase Cooling System for Data Centers,” Mehdi Asheghi, Adjunct Professor, Mechanical Engineering Department, Stanford University
- “Image-Based Metrology: A Pathway to Digital Twins for Pool Boiling Regime Diagnostics,” Srikanth Rangarajan, Assistant Professor, School of System Science and Industrial Engineering, Binghamton University
The technical program also included two invited presentations by industry experts in thermal management:
- Sagi Mathai, of Hewlett Packard Enterprises, delivered the Keynote presentation on “Scaling Data Centers with Light”, which explored challenges, approaches, and opportunities for optical and photonics technologies to shape the future of high-power computing and data centers.
- Guy Wagner, of Electronic Cooling Solutions, Inc., received the SEMI-THERM 42 Thermi Award. His presentation took us all back through his extensive career journey, showing us the innovative ways that he has played a part in designing fans and cooling electronics for decades.
The Thermal Hall of Fame recipient was Dr. Clemens J.M. Lasance, who passed away in 2025 but contributed for 50 years to the thermal community as a leader and innovator. This work bridged theoretical modeling with real-world applications, and he will be remembered for his legacy of precision, intellectual honesty, and passion for advancing the discipline of thermal sciences.
Peer-Reviewed Papers
The following papers underwent a peer review process and were accepted as “peer-reviewed papers”:
| Technical Program | |
|---|---|
| Title | Author(s) |
| Influence of Surface Finish on Copper Corrosion in Propylene Glycol-Based Direct-to-Chip Coolants for Data Centers | Carter Prokesch, Sreya Dutta, Satish Mohapatra |
| A Reduced-Order Model for Thermal Analysis of Power Electronics Modules | Shihu Ma, Xiao Hu, Guijie Chen, Ibrahim Yavuz |
| Thermodynamic Optimization of Microfluidic Heat-sinks via Entropy Generation Minimization (EGM) Approach | Pramod Vishwakarma, Bivas Panigrahi, Jeff Punch, Vanessa Egan |
| Thermal Performance Factor Evaluation of Lattice Structures With and Without Integrated Fins | Orkun Dogu, Haluk Anil Kose, Vedat Yagci, Ahmet Koyuncu, Arda Zengin, and Atakan Kabukcu |
| Experimental Evaluation of Flow Restrictors for Mitigating Instabilities in Rack-Level Two-Phase D2C Cooling Systems | Ali Heydari, Omar Al-Zu’bi, Yaman Manaserh, Ahmad R Gharaibeh, Ala’a Altubeshat, Mehdi Mehrabikermani, Bahgat Sammakia |
| Digital Twin for Two-Phase High-Density Computing Data Center: System-Level Experimental Dataset and Manual Component Characterization for Pumped Two-Phase Rack Cooling | Ali Heydaria, Mehdi Mehrabi, Yaman Manaserh, Omar Al-Zu’bi, Alfonso Ortega |
| Comparison of Heat Spreading Performance of Ultra-Thin Vapor Chamber and Graphite Sheet on Smart Phone Display using the Non-Contact Measurement Method | Kuang-Yu Hsu, Yi-Jing Chu, Andhi Indira Kusuma, and Krishn Patel |
| Simultaneous Estimation of Interfacial and Bulk Thermal Resistances in Thermal Interface Materials with Si Substrates under Controlled Uniaxial Pressure Using Lock-in Thermography | K. Hasegawa, T. Hirai, F. Ando, R. Takahashi, N. Takahara, K. Uchida |
| Breakdown of Thermal Resistance in The Heat Transfer Path of Microprocessors by Utilizing Thermal Network | Koji Nishi |
| Measurement of Thermal Contact Resistance Using a One-Dimensional Transient Plane Source Configuration | Kelsie Robson, David Landry |
| Dynamic Rack-Level Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling with Adaptive Flow and Pumping for Enhanced Energy Efficiency and IT Reliability | Akiilesh Sivakumar, Himanshu Modi, Lochan Sai Reddy, Pardeep Shahi, Dereje Agonafer |
| CFD Analysis of High-Power Processor Cooling Using SiC-Diamond and CVD Diamond Microchannel Spreaders under Varied Fin Structures and Flow Paths | Abtin Ataei |
The Harvey Rosten Award, which is sponsored by Siemens Digital Industries Software, was presented to “Comparison of 3D Manifold Architectures for Cooling of Internal Heatsinks using External Airflow” by Gearóid Farrell, Rajesh Nimmagadda, and Tim Persoons of Trinity College Dublin, School of Engineering and Danny J. Lohan, Shailesh N. Joshi, and Ercan (Eric) M. Dede of Toyota Research Institute of North America.
Vendor Exhibits and Workshops
Forty-four companies participated in the exhibits, showcasing a variety of thermal management products and services, including heat sinks, thermal interface materials, heat pipes, vapor chambers, fluid connectors, air-movers, and advanced materials. Other exhibitors featured tools for thermal simulation and testing, thermal consulting, a university consortium and, of course, Electronics Cooling Magazine. In addition to the booths in the exhibit hall, several vendors also gave Vendor Workshops.
Best Papers and Poster
Best Paper: “Fast Multiscale Thermal Simulation of Large SOCs down to Sub-Nanometer Transistor Channel Detail through Iterative Selective Resolution Refinement”, Bjorn Vermeersch, IMEC
Honorable Mention: “Active Thermal Management of a Device Under Test via Direct-to-Silicon Submerged Liquid Jet Impingement”, Samaun Nili, Intel
Best Poster: “Is it hot in here, or is it just me? Tackling thermal challenges during an AI-driven data explosion”, Brian Crumpston, Ventiva
Thermal FUTURES Scholarship
The SEMI-THERM Thermal Futures Initiative (TFI) provides scholarships to engineering undergraduate and graduate students with accepted abstracts, covering SEMI-THERM 43 registration, three nights of lodging, meals, and limited travel expenses. More details are available on the SEMI-THERM website.
In its first year, TFI proved highly successful, with strong technical presentations. Funding comes from voluntary donations solicited by the SEMI-THERM TFI committee from industry and long-time community members. The program helps attract young engineers to SEMI-THERM, giving them experience in presenting and networking. 2026 contributions came from HP Enterprise and HPE Labs, Tim Shedd, Qualcomm Technologies, and Novark Technologies. Overall, the program was a very positive experience for both students and attendees.
The winning students, university affiliations, and topics for ST42 were:
| TFI participants | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead Student Author | University Affiliation | Country | Degree Program | Presentation Topic |
| Omar Al’Zubi | Binghamton University, State University of New York | US | Graduate Research Engineer (Ph.D., 2022) | Digital Twin for Two-Phase High-Density Computing Data Center: System-Level Experimental Dataset and Manual Component Characterization for Pumped Two-Phase Rack Cooling |
| Reza Gohrimehr | Villanova University | US | Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering (2028) | Development of a Flow Network Modeling Approach for End-To-End Data Center Direct To Chip Two-Phase Cooling Systems |
| Chengzhe Lyu | TU-Dresden | Germany | Research Scientist; Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering (May 2027) | Effect of Reduced Order Models on Computational Efficiency and IP Protection of Thermo-Mechanical Models for Package-Board Design |
| Akiilessh Sivakumar | University of Texas – Arlington | US | Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering (May 2026) | Dynamic Rack-Level Direct-to-Chip Liquid Cooling with Adaptive Flow and Pumping for Enhanced Energy Efficiency and IT Reliability |
| Mehdi Mehrabikermani | Villanova University | US | Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering | Experimental Evaluation of Flow Restrictors for Mitigating Instabilities in Rack-Level Two-Phase D2C Cooling Systems |
| Cole Richards | Villanova University | US | B.S., Mechanical Engineering (April 2026), Research Assistant | Experimental Investigation of Heat Transfer in Skived Fin Cold Plates with Split-Flow Jet Impingement Two-Phase Refrigerant Boiling |
Other SEMI-THERM 42 Activities Included:
In the panel discussion “Advanced Materials for Thermal Management in High-Performance Computing – Focus on Diamond Integration,” invited panelists provided their thoughts on the future of diamond and diamond composites for thermal management. The panel was moderated by Navid Kazem (Arieca) and included Rob Murano (Coherent), Russell Kempt (Diamond Foundry), Dr. Sam Vaziri (TSMC), Melanie Beauchemin (Google), and Dr. Jeremy Turcaud (Element Six) as panelists.
A luncheon presentation on the Wednesday, March 10, by Bjorn Vermeersch from IMEC, took attendees on an adventure to discover the beauty of “Procedural Artworks from Heat Equations and Japanese Embroidery”.
About SEMI-THERM
SEMI-THERM is an annual international conference focused on thermal management and characterization of electronic components and systems, first held in Phoenix, AZ in 1984. It provides a forum for industry and academia to network and share insights through technical sessions spanning thermal design, modeling, and system-level validation, along with vendor exhibits showcasing new technologies.
The SEMI-THERM Educational Foundation (STEF), established in 2013, is a nonprofit dedicated to advancing global education in electronics thermal engineering. It supports professional development, technical networking, and collaboration between academia and industry to promote innovation and excellence.
More information on SEMI-THERM is available at https://semi-therm.org/. SEMI-THERM 43 will be held in San Jose, CA, March 15-18, 2027.
