New thermal interface materials improve service life of electronics

Thermal Management is the hottest topic in electronics at the moment.  Effective control of heat is an increasing concern among today's electronic device manufacturers and, as products become more compact and powerful the heat generated is more intense. Too much heat can reduce service life and affect reliability so the need to dissipate damaging heat effectively is greater than ever. To address the thermal demands of today's electronic devices, Techsil provides a complete portfolio of high-performance, user-friendly Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs) to suit a variety of current and future heat control needs.

Air is a poor conductor so manufacturers have developed innovative thermally conductive silicone adhesives that can be robot dispensed to help quickly conduct heat away from the PCB to the heat sink (usually an aluminium case lid) or used as potting to act as a temporary heat store to allow heat to dissipate over time.  Any air-filled gaps, even microscopic, will inhibit the efficient transfer of heat.

Many electronics design engineers prefer the flexibility of a silicone paste, as no two surfaces are completely smooth and often do not mate perfectly, therefore creating air gaps.  The paste is more forgiving and fills the gaps eliminating the air on the surface very well.  Also, it can be robot dispensed in intricate patterns.

Silicones are very versatile and in particular have the advantages of being able to bond to difficult combinations of materials and reliability over a wide temperature range and in difficult environments. Used for potting, their flexibility when cured provides excellent protection to sensitive electronics by absorbing mechanical vibration and thermal shock. Alternatively, silicone greases can be used as gap fillers if there is a need to re-work the component at a future date.

Techsil are authorised distributors for Momentive who have a comprehensive range of thermal management silicones. A comparison summary of their range of silicone TIMs can be downloaded here Momentive's Thermal Management Materials