Recent Advances in Thermal Interface Materials

Abstract

In recent years, miniaturization and integration have become the development trends of electronic devices. With the power of electronic devices continuing to increase, the amount of heat generated is sharply increasing. Thermal interface material (TIM) can effectively improve heat transfer between two solid interfaces, and it plays an important role in the performance, service life and stability of electronic devices. In this case, higher requirements are put forward for thermal management, so much attention is also attached to the innovation and optimization of TIM. In this paper, recent research development of TIM is reviewed. Rheology-based modeling and design are discussed for the widely used polymeric TIMs. It is discussed for the effects of thermal conductive fillers on the properties of composites. Many studies have shown that some polymers filled with high thermal conductivity and low loss ceramics are well suitable for electronic packaging for device encapsulation. Until now, extensive attentions have been paid to the preparation of polymeric composites with high thermal conductivity for the application in electronic packaging. Finally, the problems are also discussed and the research directions of TIM in the future are prospected.

The Properties and Preparation Methods of Different Boron Nitride Nanostructures and Applications of Related Nanocomposites

“…The commonly thermally conductive materials are generally good conductors of electricity. [83,87] However, BN is a good conductor of heat, but an insulator of electricity. [88] The B atom is in an electron-deficient state in BN, which causes the electrons to be bound around the B atom and makes BN exhibit insulation, and its electrical insulation performance can be maintained even in a relatively high temperature environment.…”

“…Thermal management has become more and more important, especially in the miniaturized modern equipment. [189][190][191] The exploration of high thermal conductivity (TC) and electrical insulation (EI) materials is very important. [192,193] The atomicgrade thin BN is a strong candidate for flexible electronic devices due to its wide band gap, high thermal conductivity, excellent strength, good flexibility and ideal thermal and chemical stability.…”

The Effect of Edge Mode on Mass Sensing for Strained Graphene Resonators

“…Since Geim and co-workers fabricated monolayer graphene by mechanical exfoliation in 2004 [ 1 ], graphene-based device manufacturing infrastructure has seen considerable advancements [ 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ] due to the excellent mechanical properties [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], preeminent thermal properties [ 9 , 10 ], and tunable electrical performances [ 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 ]. A variety of nanotechnologies have been developed, including thermal interface materials [ 15 , 16 , 17 ]; electromagnetic composites [ 18 , 19 ]; gas separation membranes [ 20 ]; and sensor-based applications [ 21 ], such as accelerometers [ 22 ], biomedical detection [ 23 ], and gas measuring [ 24 ]. Among them, the graphene-based mass sensor has attracted increasing attention with the benefit of its unprecedented atom-thick two-dimensional structure, which provides enough area for the incoming mass flux.…”

Fabrication of Al2O3/ZnO and Al2O3/Cu Reinforced Silicone Rubber Composite Pads for Thermal Interface Materials

“…Irregular zinc oxide powder (60 W/m·K) and spherical copper powder (400 W/m·K) were used as small ceramic and metal fillers, respectively, because of their higher thermal conductivity than aluminum oxide powder (30 W/m·K). This systematical study of thermal conductivity of rubbery composite pads with heterogeneous fillers will expedite scientific understandings and industrial applications of thermal interface materials, which can contribute to enhancing the performance and speed of electronic devices and batteries by preventing thermal malfunction and thermal throttling [ 29 , 30 , 31 ].…”