Electronics industry needs for improved performance of thermal interface materials (TIMs) are driving continued reductions in thermal resistance. These reductions are being achieved with materials that become liquidous or near-liquidous at predictable operating temperatures, with extremely high thermal conductivity filler materials, or with both. Metallic alloys with low … [Read more...]
Adhesion of Thermal Interface Materials for CPU Heatsinks, an Overlooked Issue
High performance thermal interface materials (TIMs) inserted between the CPU lid and heatsink - generally referred to as the "TIM2" - provide a reworkable low resistance thermal path in the package stack-up. It is well-recognized that users need to monitor the thermal performance of the TIMs to verify vendor data [1, 2]. Less well-known is that the TIM2 can also mechanically … [Read more...]
Direct Die Attach Using a Room Temperature Soldering Process
As the power and power density of IC components continue to rise [1], the need to effectively dissipate the heat to ensure long-term reliability has increased [2]. The largest contributor to the total thermal resistance along the heat conduction path comes from the thermal interface material (TIM) used between the surfaces of the silicon die and the heat spreader or heat sink. … [Read more...]
GCS Theory Applied to Thermal Interface Materials
There are 819 kinds of Thermal Interface Material (TIM) - those greases, putties, pads and phase change compounds that go between hot electronic components and their heat sinks - and just as many ways to misuse them. This article covers all of them by stating: If a TIM disappoints, it is all your fault for making one or more of these silly mistakes. Never Learning How to Make a … [Read more...]
Thermal Interface Materials: A Brief Review of Design Characteristics and Materials
Introduction In the past few decades, as microprocessors have continued to evolve along Moore's law, providing increased functionality and performance, there has been an associated increase in cooling demand driven both by the increase in raw power and in local power densities on the die, commonly referred to as "hot spots"[1, 2]. Considerable attention has therefore been given … [Read more...]
