Thermal management of micro hotspots in electric components with carbon nanotubes

Abstract

The excellent thermal and electrical conductivity as well as the remarkable mechanical properties of Carbon Nanotubes (CNTs) all point towards an unbeatable and facile route towards replacing traditional thermal management materials, like copper, in the electronics industry. In spite of that, the technology is still suffering from considerable challenges. In order to realise an actual electronics, which uses CNTs for thermal management, inevitable trade-offs have to be made. Our work is focusing on proposing novel ideas and manufacturing techniques which show a reasonable potential and could justify the practicality of this technology. The paper is reporting on the recent results in hotspot removal by using tailored multi-layer chips and CNTs grown directly on the heat affected zone.