Living in this new era of digitalization and technological innovations, advancements are bound to happen and we humans happily become a part of those inventions because undoubtedly they make our lives easier. As this new world of electronic products squeeze high rate of power in those small packages, the importance of the concept of thermal management implying to the design of the product tends to increase.
Thermal Interface Materials – Need
The amount of heat which gets formed up into semiconductor components has to be removed in order to balance the temperature of the component in the safe operating limits. This whole heat removal process involves conduction from the surface of the package to a heat spreader that can ultimately transfer the heat to the environment. In the process of doing all this one thing has to be specially taken care of that is the associated heat spreader has to be attached very carefully to the package in order to reduce the thermal resistance of this thermal interface.
Two commercial grade surfaces are brought into close contact with each other as a requirement for connecting a heat spreader to a semiconductor package surface. The moment these two services are attached, contact takes place at high points and air filled gaps take over the low points. And that is where thermal interface materials steps in they are used to stop the formation of those air filled gaps and eliminate already formed ones. In order to treat those air gaps, uneven mating surfaces are conformed from the interface. These thermal interface materials exercise more thermal conductivity in comparison to the air they replace, the resistance across the interface declines and the temperature of the component gets reduced.
Thermal Interface Materials – Types
Thermal insulators and pads:
- Thermalinsulator pads are manufactured using a polymerized silicon rubber as an easy to use solid. These pads were invented as a user friendly option to mica insulators to be utilized between heat sinks and power devices. They are often used to improve handling.
- This particular type of thermal interface material is very easy to handle. There is no rocket science involved when it comes to its operation. In fact it can be easily used.
- It can be converted into the most precise shape as per the demand of the application. Also, it has high conductivity and high dielectric power.
Conductive adhesive tapes:
- In order secure a connection between the heat metal sinks and other power dissipating components thermal conductive and adhesive tapes are used. These tapes are basically silicon pressure or acrylic tapes used to secure that bond.
- There’s a layer of polyamide film, fiberglass mat, or aluminum foil present on the thermal tapes.
- These tapes are very powerful and their strength cannot be questioned. They are known to secure the bond. Since they have excellent mechanical adhesive properties, they can be trusted to form a connectivity.
- In addition to being a strong and reliable, adhesive these tapes are also very lightweight and thin.