Re-design and validation of the ‘STATIM’ TIM tester

In this paper the improvement of the original version of the `STATIM´ tester, designed for the high precision measurement of cutting-edge TIM materials is explained. Although the first design has validated the concept of the tester, the first hand-on experiences have set further requirements for a possible new design. The measurement of thermally conductive greases requires the precise setting of the bond line thickness, in a fine resolution. As the sensor chips are directly exposed to the samples to be measured, there is a change that they get damaged during the lifetime of the tester. In the following paragraphs the solutions for these problems are explained and measurement results are shown using the redesigned equipment.