In a strategic move to address the growing thermal management challenges in high-performance electronics, Japanese chemical manufacturer Denka has announced an investment in Naiieel Technology, a South Korean startup specializing in Boron Nitride Nanotubes (BNNTs).[1][2][3] The investment, made through a corporate venture capital (CVC) fund jointly operated with Pegasus Tech Ventures, aims to fortify Denka's heat-dissipating filler business and accelerate the development of next-generation thermal materials for AI servers and semiconductor power modules.[1][4]
As AI servers and power semiconductors become more powerful and compact, the heat they generate poses a significant obstacle to performance and reliability.[5][6] Traditional thermal interface materials are reaching their limits, creating a critical demand for advanced solutions. Boron Nitride Nanotubes are emerging as a game-changing material in this domain. Structurally similar to carbon nanotubes, BNNTs are nanomaterials with a tubular structure composed of boron and nitrogen atoms arranged in a hexagonal lattice.[1][7] They boast a unique combination of properties: exceptional thermal conductivity, high mechanical strength, excellent thermal and chemical stability, and importantly, they are electrical insulators—making them ideal for electronics applications.[1][7][8]
The key to this collaboration lies in Naiieel Technology's groundbreaking production process.[2][9] The company has developed a proprietary "Thermochemical process" that enables the low-cost, high-purity, and high-quality mass production of BNNTs, overcoming previous barriers of high cost and low yield that limited their widespread industrial use.[1][2][10] This innovation makes the commercial application of BNNTs in thermal fillers not just possible, but highly attractive.
Denka and Naiieel are already collaborating on the development of high-conductivity thermal fillers.[1][4] By integrating Naiieel's BNNTs into Denka's filler materials, the companies have demonstrated the potential to improve the thermal conductivity of semiconductor packaging materials by at least 20%, and in some cases, by more than 50% compared to conventional materials.[2][4][9] This investment will deepen the partnership, combining Denka's extensive expertise in materials science with Naiieel's cutting-edge nanotechnology to create solutions for the most demanding thermal management applications of the future.
