Trumonytechs Innovates in Electronic Cooling Solutions
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Heat dissipation is a key research focus in the electronics industry. The actual temperature at which electronic components operate is crucial. It affects their reliability. Electronic devices are getting smaller and using more power. So, their power density is rising, leading to much more heat. This requires better thermal performance. It leads to thermal interface materials.
Table of Contents
Role of Thermal Interface Materials
Thermal interface materials are widely used in IC packaging and electronic heat dissipation. They fill micro gaps and surface irregularities that happen when two materials are joined or in contact. This reduces thermal contact resistance and improves device heat dissipation.
The surfaces of microelectronic materials and heat sinks have tiny, irregular differences. If they are directly installed together, the actual contact area between them is only 10% of the heat sink base area, with the rest being air gaps. Air has a thermal conductivity of only 0.024W/(m*K) and is a poor heat conductor. This creates a big thermal resistance between electronic components and heat sinks. This resistance greatly hinders heat transfer and leads to poor heat dissipation from the heat sink. Filling these gaps with thermally conductive interface materials that have high thermal conductivity removes the air within them. This creates a heat conduction channel between electronic components and heat sinks. It significantly reduces the contact thermal resistance, letting the heat sink work.
Types of Thermal Interface Materials
To meet the heat dissipation needs of electronics, the market has many types of thermal interface materials. Commonly used thermal interface materials include silicone pads and gels. They also include structural adhesives, grease, and potting compounds.
Characteristics of Thermal Interface Materials
Thermal Characteristics
Thermal Resistance
Thermal resistance is inversely proportional to thermal conductivity (k). It is also directly proportional to material thickness. This means the material’s thermal conductivity is constant. Thermal resistance depends only on the material’s thickness. The thicker the material, the higher the thermal resistance. The thinner, the lower.
You can control contact thermal resistance artificially. Do this by selecting appropriate thermal interface materials based on the contact surface. This action controls the total thermal resistance.
Thermal Conductivity
Thermal conductivity measures how well materials can conduct heat. The higher the thermal conductivity coefficient, the better the thermal performance.
Electrical Characteristics
Breakdown Voltage
The breakdown voltage measurement shows how much voltage a material can withstand. This value reflects the electrical insulation capability of the thermal interface material. Moisture from the air can affect the value. This happens in humid or hot places because the thermal interface material absorbs moisture.
Volume Resistivity
Volume resistivity measures the volumetric electrical resistance of a unit volume of material. It refers to the ability of thermal interface materials to conduct current. They do so between energized components and metal heat sinks. Like breakdown voltage, volume resistivity may decrease due to humidity and high temperatures.
Elasticity Characteristics
Compressive Deformation: Compressive deformation refers to the force applied when deflecting. When compressive loads are applied, elastic materials deform without changing their volume. Compression varies based on factors. These include part shape, deflection speed, and probe size.
Stress Relaxation: When pressure is applied to a thermal interface material, it deforms. Then, it slowly relaxes. When you remove pressure, this process continues. It continues until a balance is reached between the pressure and the material’s strength.
Compression Deformation: Compression deformation is the result of stress relaxation. If a thermal interface material withstands pressure for too long, some deformation may become permanent. It will happen when the pressure stops.
Conclusion
Trumonytechs is a top maker of thermal interface materials. They have solved the rising thermal challenges in small, high-power electronics. They did this by steadily improving their high-performance thermal interface materials. Its products reduce thermal contact resistance a lot. They do this by filling tiny gaps and surface bumps well. This improves devices’ thermal performance.