Abstract
Thermal interface materials (TIMs) serve a critical function in light-emitting diode (LED) assemblies and electronic systems, although the cost of some is very modest. The basic function is to provide an effective thermal path between two dissimilar surfaces, often the base of the LED array and a heat sink or a metal heat-dissipating surface. The TIM material in the simplest definition is intended to reduce air gaps between mating metal surfaces, given the very poor thermal conductivity of air. Proper selection and application of a TIM will compensate for relative surface roughness and surface imperfections on one or both mating surfaces that create loss of surface-to-surface contact for the transmission of heat.
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Notes
- 1.
Kovar, copper–tungsten (more properly, tungsten–copper as the larger constituent volume is typically tungsten), copper-molybdenum, and AlSiC (aluminum-silicon-carbide metal matrix composite) are examples of materials having CTE values which are more closely matched to silicon than is true for copper.
- 2.
Often improperly termed “thermal impedance”. See, e.g., Lasance et al. [2], “Challenges in Thermal Interface Material Testing”, Proceedings, 22nd IEEE SEMI-THERM Conference, Dallas TX USA, March 2006, and the Editorial of the September 2010 issue of Electronics Cooling by Lasance.
- 3.
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Saums, D. (2014). Advances in Thermal Interface Materials for Power LED Applications. In: Lasance, C., Poppe, A. (eds) Thermal Management for LED Applications. Solid State Lighting Technology and Application Series, vol 2. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5091-7_8
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