This paper presents the results of an investigation of the thermal performance of a graphite foam thermosyphon evaporator and discusses the foam’s potential for use in the thermal management of electronics. The graphitized carbon foam used in this study is an open-cell porous material that consists of a network of interconnected graphite ligaments whose thermal conductivities are up to five times higher than copper. While the bulk graphite foam has a thermal conductivity similar to aluminum, it has one-fifth the density, making it an excellent thermal management material. Furthermore, using the graphite foam as the evaporator in a thermosyphon enables the transfer of large amounts of energy with relatively low temperature difference and without the need for external pumping. Performance of the system with FC-72 and FC-87 was examined, and the effects of liquid fill level, condenser temperature, and foam height, width, and density were studied. Performance with FC-72 and FC-87 was found to be similar, while the liquid fill level, condenser temperature, geometry, and density of the graphite foam were found to significantly affect the thermal performance. The boiling was found to be surface tension dominated, and a simple model based on heat transfer from the outer surface is proposed. As much as 149W were dissipated from a 1cm2 heated area.

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Graphite foams have recently been developed at ORNL and are beginning to be applied to thermal management of electronics. These foams consist of a network of interconnected graphite ligaments whose thermal conductivities are up to five times higher than copper. The thermal conductivity of the bulk graphite foam is similar to aluminum, but graphite foam has one-fifth the density of aluminum. This combination of high thermal conductivity and low density results in a thermal diffusivity about four times higher than that of aluminum, allowing heat to rapidly propagate into the foam. This heat is spread out over the very large surface area within the foam, enabling large amounts of energy to be transferred with relatively low temperature difference. The use of graphite foam as the evaporator of a thermosyphon is investigated due to its potential to transfer large amounts of energy without the need for external pumping. A preliminary optimization of the parameters governing evaporator performance is performed using 2-level factorial design. Performance of the system with both PF-5060 and PF-5050 were examined as well as the effects of liquid level and chamber pressure.

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A new process has been developed for the fabrication of AlGaAs-based MEMS which the inherent piezoelectric transduction present in this material to be used for sensing and actuation. The process combines molecular beam epitaxial growth of single-crystal Al0.3Ga0.7As multilayer, inductively coupled plasma reactive-ion etching (ICP-RIE), and highly selective wet etching of GaAs to produce released Al0.3Ga0.7As structures. The process has been validated through the fabrication of both cantilever and doubly clamped beam structures, and has wider use for applications where large electromechanical coupling strength and single-crystal heterostructure are desired.