An exploratory thermal interface structure, made of vertically oriented carbon nanotubes directly grown on a silicon substrate, has been thermally characterized using a 3-omega method. The effective thermal conductivities of the carbon nanotubes (CNT) sample, including the effects of voids, are found to be to in the temperature range of to , one order higher than that of the best thermal greases or phase change materials. This result suggests that the vertically oriented CNTs potentially can be a promising next-generation thermal interface solution. However, fairly large thermal resistances were observed at the interfaces between the CNT samples and the experimental contact. Minimizing these contact resistances is critical for the application of these materials.
Issue Section:
Micro/Nanoscale Heat Transfer
Keywords:
carbon nanotubes,
silicon,
elemental semiconductors,
thermal conductivity,
contact resistance,
thermal resistance,
voids (solid),
thermal management (packaging),
thermal conductivity,
contact thermal resistance,
carbon nanotube,
thermal interface material,
3-omega method,
thermal management
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