Interfacially engineered micro and nano-scale Cu-In composites as high performance thermal interface materials for advanced electronics

A key enabler of modern information and communications technologies (ICT) is energy-efficient electronics. As electronics become increasingly powerful and vertically integrated into 3-D structures, new design paradigms are needed to efficiently dissipate thermal energy produced by Joule heating, to minimize the need for active, power-hungry cooling schemes. This necessitates the development of new thermal interface materials (TIMs) with high thermal conductivity (k), low reflow temperature, and high shear compliance. This paper reports on two novel Cu-In composite TIMs: (i) a micro-composite with spherical copper particles in In matrix, produced via powder processing; and (ii) a nano-composite comprising aligned copper nanowires in In matrix, produced by templated electrodeposition. The material architectures, fabrication routes, resultant thermal properties, and potential means to improve the properties further are discussed.