Preface Increasingly it is apparent that measuring the thermal properties of Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) causes much irritation for vendors and users alike. This article focuses on various measurement and standardization aspects and offers a strategy to overcome the problems. It is essentially an abbreviated version of a paper presented at SEMITHERM '03 … [Read more...]
The 45° Heat Spreading Angle – An Urban Legend?
Ever hear about the 45° heat spreading angle? Most of us have. However, no one I've talked to seems to know where it came from. Is it an urban legend, such as alligators in the sewers of Manhattan, or is it an eternal truth deposited into the collective subconscious of the thermal engineering community? However fascinating it might be to explore the historical origins of this … [Read more...]
The Thermal Conductivity of Moist Air
In the Tech Data series on thermal conductivity, gases - especially air - have been the subject of a few contributions. So far, the influence of two important parameters has been covered: temperature and pressure. However, people regularly ask: "What exactly is the influence of humidity?" And my standard answer has always been: "Nothing to worry about." Some time ago, one of … [Read more...]
Thermal Interface Materials
It doesn't take long for an electronics assembler to realize that a thermal interface material (TIM) is essential when two or more solid surfaces are in the heat path. Standard machined surfaces are rough and wavy, leading to relatively few actual contact points between surfaces. The insulating air gaps created by multiple voids of "contacting" hard surfaces are simply too … [Read more...]
E missivity in Practical Temperature Measurements
When making temperature measurements with infrared cameras and point detectors, we are always facing the question of the emissivity of our sample. In practice we would like to have a single number set in the IR device. To approach the question, let's first recall some fundamental definitions. Planck's radiation law gives the energy density emitted by a blackbody as a function … [Read more...]
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