Chemistry and interfacial mechanics of a phase change material on metal surfaces

Abstract

IC packages are known to dissipate heat. Recently power dissipation in electronic devices has increased dramatically particularly in microprocessors. This trend is expected to continue in the future. While packages have gotten more thermally efficient and heat sinks have both increased in size and efficiency, changes in thermal interface materials have not advanced as rapidly. Thermal interface materials have gone from occupying a small percent of the total thermal budget, to taking up over half, for many new devices. A thermal resistance measurement setup has been designed and assembled ASTM D5470 standard as guidelines. The equipment was then be used to study the interfacial chemistry and mechanics of a thermal interface material called phase change material The chemistry, process conditions and surface wetting conditions of the material have been correlated to the thermal resistance of the heat spreader / phase change interface.