Vertically Aligned Graphene for Thermal Interface Materials

Abstract

With the rapidly increasing power density and integration level in electronic devices, the development of the next generation of thermal interface materials (TIMs) with substantially high thermal conductivity is essential for various device technologies. Graphene, exhibiting ultrahigh in‐plane thermal conductivity, is investigated intensely for improving the heat dissipation performance. To satisfy the requirements of high vertical thermal conductivity of TIMs, numerous efforts have been made toward the development of the assembly method of graphene sheets extending the intrinsic properties of graphene to macro graphene‐based TIMs. A successful approach that erects graphene sheets to construct a vertical structure of graphene material has been widely demonstrated to significantly increase the thermal conductivity of graphene‐based TIMs. In this review, the latest advances in the rational design and controllable fabrication of vertical graphene structures by means of top‐down and bottom‐up methods are summarized. Moreover, the state‐of‐the‐art progress on graphene‐based TIMs is discussed from the viewpoint of material fabrication, structure design, and property optimization. Finally, the existing advantages, challenges, and perspectives of high‐thermal‐conductivity graphene‐based TIMs are presented and highlighted.

Highly Efficient Photothermal Conversion and Water Transport during Solar Evaporation Enabled by Amorphous Hollow Multishelled Nanocomposites

“…[15][16][17][18] Other good candidates are semiconductors owing to their highly tuneable energy band, their intrinsic thermalization, and the large size of the semiconductor family. [19][20][21][22][23][24][25] Considering the application for solar-vapor generation in harsh environments, semiconductors with good stability may be irreplaceable for such varied applications.…”

Graphitized-rGO/Polyimide Aerogel as the Compressible Thermal Interface Material with Both High in-Plane and through-Plane Thermal Conductivities

“…Many efforts have been devoted to constructing macroscale graphene-based monoliths as TIMs. Horizontal graphene papers [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ] and vertical graphene monoliths [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ] present ultra-high TC values and have attracted a lot of attention. However, vertical graphene monoliths or horizontal graphene papers only can provide high TC values in a one-dimensional direction.…”

“…Vertical graphene monoliths present high through-plane TC values (35–680 W m −1 K −1 ) [ 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 ] due to the vertical orientation of graphene layers. However, the TC values of the vertical graphene monoliths along the in-plane direction are far lower than that along the through-plane direction, arising from the high anisotropy [ 19 ]. The excellent thermal transport performances only along a one-dimensional direction are attributed to the van der Waals forces between graphene layers hindering the transport of phonons leading to thermal resistance [ 20 ].…”

Growth and Selective Etching of Twinned Graphene on Liquid Copper Surface

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requires only two parameters: the lattice misalignment angle (θ) between the two single-crystalline grains and the alignment angle (φ) of the GB. It is well documented that GBs greatly affect the electronic, [1][2][3][4][5][6] mechanical, [7][8][9], and thermal properties [5,[10][11][12] of a 2D material, and therefore, GB engineering during 2D materials synthesis and processing is critical for applications. The study of TBs in 3D material is of great interest because of the dominance of TBs in 3D materials and their impact on the mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties of the materials.

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