Synergistic effect of carbon fiber and graphite on reducing thermal resistance of thermal interface materials

Maohua Li, Linhong Li, Xiao Hou, Yue Qin, Guichen Song, Xianzhe Wei, Xiangdong Kong, Zhenbang Zhang, Hainam Do, James C. Greer, Fei Han, Tao Cai, Wen Dai, Cheng Te Lin, Nan Jiang, Jinhong Yu

Research output: Journal PublicationArticlepeer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Thermal interface materials (TIM) have become a leading solution to achieve lower operating temperature in electronic devices. To improve thermal conductivity and to simultaneously reduce thermal resistance, this work investigates the thermal properties for interface materials with carbon fiber and graphite. When the ratio between carbon fiber to graphite is 1:1, the thermal resistance can be reduced to 1.8 × 10−4 K m2 W−1 at 30 psi, although the bulk thermal conductivity is lowered from 34 to 19 W m−1 K−1. The synergistic effect between carbon fiber and graphite is investigated. Surface roughness of TIMs was measured and two different types of thermal conductivity measurement were applied to demonstrate that graphite makes a contribution to bulk thermal conductivity where a CF played an important role for smoothing the surface, thereby lowering the thermal resistance. In real applications, the hybrid filler is shown to perform better in enhancing the heat conduction for electrical packaging.

Original languageEnglish
Article number108883
JournalComposites Science and Technology
Volume212
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 18 Aug 2021

Keywords

  • Carbon fiber
  • Graphite
  • Synergistic effect
  • Thermal interface materials

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ceramics and Composites
  • General Engineering

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