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1
Thermal Interface Materials
Heat generated by a semiconductor
must be removed to the ambient
environment to maintain the junction
temperature of the component
within safe operating limits. Often
this heat removal process involves
conduction from a package surface
to a heat spreader that can more
efficiently transfer the heat to the
ambient environment. The spreader
has to be carefully joined to the
package to minimize the thermal
resistance of this newly formed
thermal joint.
Attaching a heat spreader to a
semiconductor package surface THERMFLOW™ T310 Phase-Change Material
requires that two commercial grade
surfaces be brought into intimate packaging market. These materials contact at a minimum of three
contact. These surfaces are usually can be categorized as follows: points, or the joint becomes so thin
characterized by a microscopic Phase-Change Materials. that the viscosity of the material pre-
surface roughness superimposed vents further flow. These materials
THERMFLOW™ products provide a
on a macroscopic non-planarity that do not provide electrical isolation
combination of grease-like thermal
can give the surfaces a concave, because they may allow the two sur-
performance with pad-like conve-
convex or twisted shape. When two faces to make contact.
nience when used between high
such surfaces are joined, contact performance microprocessors and Thermal Tapes. THERMATTACH
occurs only at the high points. The heat sinks. tapes are a family of acrylic and
low points form air-filled voids. • Can achieve less than 0.05°C- silicone pressure-sensitive adhesive
Typical contact area can consist of in2/W thermal impedance tapes designed to securely bond
more than 90 percent air voids, heat sinks to power dissipating com-
• Conform at operating tempera-
which represents a significant ponents.
ture to minimize thermal path
resistance to heat flow. • Acrylic based adhesives for
thickness
Thermally conductive materials metal or ceramic packages
• Excellent surface “wetting”
are used to eliminate these intersti- • Silicone based adhesive for
eliminates contact resistance
tial air gaps from the interface by bonding plastic packages to
conforming to the rough and Phase-change materials behave
heat sinks
uneven mating surfaces. Because like thermal greases after they reach
their melt temperature. Their viscos- • Ionically pure formulations for
the material has a greater thermal use inside component packages
conductivity than the air it replaces, ity rapidly diminishes and they flow
throughout the thermal joint to fill the and on printed circuit boards
the resistance across the joint
decreases, and the component gaps that were initially present. This • Limited gap filling properties
junction temperature will be process requires some compressive require reasonable surface
reduced. force, usually a few psi, to bring the flatness
A variety of material types have two surfaces together and cause the • High shear strength at elevated
been developed in response to the material to flow. This process contin- temperatures
changing needs of the electronic ues until the two surfaces come into
Thermal tapes are used primarily
for their mechanical adhesive prop-
erties, and to a lesser extent for their
thermal properties. The thermal con-
ductivity of these tapes is moderate
and their thermal performance in
THERMATTACH® an application is dependent on the
Adhesive Tapes contact area that can be achieved
between the bonding surfaces.
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HEAT TRANSFER FUNDAMENTALS
Key Properties of
Thermal Interface Materials
Thermal Properties
The key properties of interface materi-
als are thermal impedance and
thermal conductivity.
Thermal Impedance. This is the
CHO-THERM ® Insulating Pads measure of the total resistance to the
Gap fillers are used to bridge flow of heat from a hot surface through
Insulating Pads. CHO-THERM ®