Morphology-Controllable Liquid Metal/Diamond Sandwich-Structured Thermal Interface Material toward High-Efficiency Thermal Management
At a Glance
Section titled āAt a Glanceā| Metadata | Details |
|---|---|
| Publication Date | 2025-05-29 |
| Journal | ACS Nano |
| Authors | Xingye Wang, Yandong Wang, Bin Yang, Yingying Guo, Kang Xu |
| Institutions | Ningbo Institute of Industrial Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Citations | 10 |
Abstract
Section titled āAbstractāWith the exponential growth of AI computing power, the power density of electronic devices has exceeded 1 kW/cm<sup>2</sup>, rendering traditional thermal management materials insufficient to handle the challenges of high heat flux density. Developing thermal interface materials (TIMs) with both high thermal conductivity (ā„10 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>) and interface compatibility is crucial. This study introduces a dual-level interface engineering strategy, constructing a thermally conductive adhesive layer with low interfacial thermal resistance (4 K mm<sup>2</sup> W<sup>-1</sup>) and excellent electrical insulation properties (2.25 Ć 10<sup>13</sup> Ī© cm) through the incorporation of liquid metal (LM) microspheres (average particle size: 6.4 Ī¼m) and micron-sized diamond blending. By combining shear-induced in situ formation of a nanoscale gallium oxide interfacial layer with gradient rotational speed control, a three-dimensional continuous thermal conductive network composite material was successfully fabricated, achieving an ultrahigh thermal conductivity of 237.9 W m<sup>-1</sup> K<sup>-1</sup>. The āsandwichā packaging structure effectively mitigates the risk of LM leakage. When applied to high-power devices, the surface temperature of the heat source decreases by up to 69% compared to without TIMs. Further development of the through-plane heat transfer and in-plane waste heat conversion device allows the conversion of waste heat into a stable voltage output of 7.35 V. This marks the successful transition of TIMs from heat dissipation to energy regeneration functionality. This study presents material solution for high-power electronic thermal management and advances the practical application of LM composite materials.