Design of Thermal Interface Material With High Thermal Conductivity and Measurement Apparatus

A thermal interface material (TIM) is a crucial material for transferring heat from a die to a heatsink. We developed a new TIM composed of carbon nanotubes, silicon thermal grease, and chloroform. The thermal impedance of the TIM was measured using a new device based on thermometer principles to measure thermal impedance and resistance. This device consists of an alumina substrate, titanium tungsten (TiW) layers, gold layers, and thin alumina layers. Then the measured thermal conductivity of the TIM was compared with predictions made by the thermal resistor network model, and the experimental results were found to be consistent with the predictions made by the model.