Characterization method for thermal interface materials imitating an in-situ environment

In this paper the aspects of thermal interface material characterization are discussed from a practical point of view. A novel method based on existing measurement standards is introduced for a quick and repeatable thermal conductivity measurement of nanoparticle-based thermal greases. The effect of the surface roughness of the DUT fixture is evaluated, and a method is introduced for the long-term reliability testing of these nanocomposites.

Research highlights
► In this article a new method based on thermal transient testing is described for the characterization of thermal interface materials.
► The presented method gives highly reproducible results allowing fair material comparison.
► The proposed measurement setup resembles the application conditions of the tested TIM materials.
► It is proposed that beside the measurement of the thermal conductivity of a TIM, its long term behavior should also be tested.