Researchers in the laboratory of Dr. Ken Goodson at Stanford University have designed a thermal interface material (TIM) technology that could possibly advance thermal performance of TIMs in electronic devices by orders of magnitude.
A challenge inherent in today's electronic equipment is to efficiently remove heat generated within the device through a heat sink situated next to a heat source. To maximize the transfer of heat between these two components, a mechanically compliant TIM is usually sandwiched into the space between the source and sink. However, conventional compliant materials are generally poor thermal conductors. In contrast, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have high thermal conductivity. However, one problem that has been encountered when implementing CNTs as TIMs is suboptimal geometry which underutilizes the CNTs thermal potential. In addition, there is a large contact resistance inherent when a CNT is pressed against a second material.
Stanford engineers have addressed these issues by inventing a practical TIM with aligned CNTs in which the CNT-substrate thermal interface resistance is significantly reduced. The novel nanofiber film enhances thermal contact by utilizing a low melting temperature binder. This allows heating of the binder to allow it to conform to the nanofiber and substrate topologies, without damaging the nanofiber structure itself. The TIM can also be configured into several nanofiber geometries.
Ongoing ResearchThe researchers are currently developing prototype structures.
