Advances in thermal interface materials

The relative performance of various thermal interface materials is evaluated and compared using two different methods. One method involves application-oriented testing by employing a computer and measuring the temperature rise during computer operation. Another method involves scientific testing by utilizing the Guarded Hot Plate Method, which involves steady state heat flux measurement. The thermal interface materials evaluated include carbon black, arctic silver, and Shin-Etsu. Carbon black paste is more effective than silver paste (Arctic Silver), but is comparable in effectiveness to aluminum paste (Shin- Etsu). The carbon black paste by itself is as effective as the Shin-Etsu paste coated aluminum. The Shin-Etsu paste is more effective than Arctic Silver, whether by itself or as a coating. The relative performance is mostly consistent with that assessed by measuring the thermal contact conductance. The correlation is good for conductance less than 3 x 10 ⁴ W/m²· °C. The discrepancy is ascribed to the difference in surface roughness between computer and Guarded Hot Plate surfaces.