Thermal Interface Materials-Konlida

What are Thermal Interface Materials?

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are materials used to dissipate and improve the transfer of heat out of electronics devices. Generally, they are placed between the heat-generating chip and/or component and the heat spreading substrate or dissipating device.

Why Do Electronic Devices Get Hot?

Electronic devices become hot due to a physical phenomenon called electrical resistance or simply resistance. When voltage is applied to a conductor, the free electrons start moving. These free electrons, while flowing, collide with the atomic particles of the conductor material. This collision results in friction (resistance) between the flowing electrons and the atomic particles of the conductor, generating an excessive amount of heat.

The highest thermal energy generating devices among modern electronic devices include Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs) and computer processing units such as GPUs, CPUs, and TPUs. The voltage-changing devices such as transformers, resistors, converters, and inverters also release high thermal energy. Therefore, it is critical to keep these devices cool to ensure optimum performance and reliability. As a result, thermal management systems are usually employed which maintain the device temperature within specified limits.

Electronics cooling techniques can be passive and active. The passive cooling method utilizes natural conduction, radiation, and convection to cool down an electronic device. On the other hand, an active cooling method requires external energy to cool down an electronic device or component.

Evidently, active cooling is more effective but a costly method compared to active cooling. However, it is possible to enhance the efficiency of passive cooling using thermal interface materials instead of air.

Types of Thermal Interface Materials

There are several thermal interface materials available to suit different electronics thermal management requirements. The most common ones include

What happens during assembly?

When surfaces are attached with an interface, there is most commonly an area of mechanical contact at the interface sight. This is due to the surface roughness or waviness and will have an impact on the heat conduction. The surface irregularity and the resulting gap is the primary cause of thermal contact resistance as the gaps fill with low thermal conductivity air. To minimize the resistance, filler materials are generally required to increase the contact between the mating surfaces.

Typically, several interfaces exist between the heat generating element and the eventual heatsink.

The thickness can vary from a few thousandths of an inch to several hundredths of an inch. Some of these consist of permanent bonds like solder or adhesives.

Other interfaces are non-permanent and will form part of the heat transfer path, such as a component being bolted to a heatsink or between an assembled module and a chassis.

Thermal Interface Materials for your Application

We offer Thermal Interface Materials designed to meet your manufacturing needs. Each has its own features adapted for different use cases.

Thermal Conductive Silicone

Thermally conductive silicone materials are cost effective thermal interface materials that offer a good level of environmental sealing. Thermally and electrically conductive silicone can be used where electrical isolation is not required.

Thermally conductive silicone can be supplied as extrusion or jointed o-rings, in 15″ x 20″ (380 mm x 508 mm) sheets, or die cut to specific configurations. Thermally conductive silicone materials are available with proprietary pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. This adhesive coating is the thinnest available, thereby minimizing any impact on thermal performance.

Graphite Sheet

A Graphite Sheet, also commonly known as a thermal flexible graphite sheet, is a high-performance thermal management material. Its primary function is to spread heat uniformly along its plane, effectively eliminating "hot spots" and protecting heat-sensitive components in various electronic devices.

Key Characteristics

High Thermal Conductivity: It possesses exceptionally high in-plane thermal conductivity, typically ranging from 150 to 1500 W/m·K, which can even surpass that of metals like copper.
Chemical Stability: Composed primarily of carbon (C), it is chemically stable, non-toxic, and performs reliably across a wide temperature range (e.g., from -40°C to +400°C).

Flexibility & Conformability: The sheet is thin, flexible, and can smoothly adhere to both flat and curved surfaces, easily adapting to the contours of various components.
Lightweight: Its density is relatively low, making it significantly lighter than traditional metal heat spreaders (e.g., approximately 25% lighter than aluminum and 75% lighter than copper).

Anisotropic Thermal Conductive Composite Sheet

Anisotropic Thermal Conductive Composite Sheet is a

specialized thermal interface material (TIM) designed to manage heat flow in a specific, directional manner. Unlike isotropic materials that conduct heat equally in all directions, these sheets are engineered to have a high thermal conductivity in one primary direction (through-plane, Z-axis) while having low thermal conductivity in the other two directions (in-plane, X & Y axes).

This unique property makes them ideal for channeling heat away from a hot component (like a CPU or GPU) straight through the sheet to a heat sink, while preventing the lateral spread of heat to surrounding, potentially heat-sensitive components.

Key Characteristics & Operating Principle

High Through-Plane Conductivity (Z-axis): Provides an efficient "thermal highway" for heat to travel from the heat source to the cooling solution (e.g., a heat sink or chassis). Values can range from 3-20 W/m·K for polymer-based composites to over 50 W/m·K for advanced graphite or aligned fiber composites.

Low In-Plane Conductivity (X & Y axes): Acts as a "thermal insulator" laterally, confining the heat to the area directly above the component. This prevents "hot spots" from spreading across the board and protects nearby components.
The Anisotropic Ratio: This is a key figure of merit, calculated as (In-plane Conductivity) / (Through-plane Conductivity). A higher ratio indicates a more effective and truly anisotropic material.

Graphite Copper Mesh

Graphite Copper Mesh is a composite material that combines a copper mesh network with graphite. This combination aims to leverage the high electrical conductivity of copper with the excellent lubricating properties and thermal stability of graphite . You might also hear it referred to as Copper-Graphite Composite Mesh.

Key Characteristics & Benefits

Excellent Electrical Conductivity: The continuous copper mesh structure provides a primary path for electrical current, which helps in achieving lower overall electrical resistivity compared to some other carbon-based composites.
Superior Self-Lubrication & Low Friction: Graphite acts as a solid lubricant . It forms a lubricating film on surfaces, significantly reducing friction and wear, which is crucial for moving parts like sliding contacts.

Enhanced Wear Resistance: The combination of the durable copper network and the lubricating effect of graphite results in a material that withstands wear much better than graphite alone (which can be soft) or some other composites where the conductive phase might be isolated . This leads to a longer operational life.
Good Thermal Conductivity: Both copper and graphite are good conductors of heat, allowing the mesh to help in dissipating heat generated from friction or electrical current, thus protecting components from overheating .
Structural Integrity: Using a copper mesh, as opposed to isolated particles or impregnations, can create a more continuous and connected network within the composite. This enhances both mechanical stability and electrical continuity .

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