Interfacial Thermal Resistance Research Articles

Microstructure and performance of carbon fiber reinforced aluminum matrix composites with molybdenum carbide coating on carbon fibers

In this work, a molybdenum carbide coating on the surface of short carbon fibers prepared using molten salt method was proposed to ameliorate the interfacial bonding and improve the performance of carbon fiber/Al composites. The carbon fiber/Al composites were produced using vacuum hot pressing. The characteristics of molybdenum carbide coating were analyzed. Besides, the microstructures, bending strength and thermal properties of the carbon fiber/Al composites were explored. Furthermore, the interfacial thermal resistance of the composites was investigated in relation to theoretical evaluations derived from the combined Maxwell-Garnett effective medium approach and acoustic mismatch model schemes. The results indicated that a homogeneous Mo2C coating with a thickness of 0.5 μm was obtained by proper molar ratio of carbon fibers, MoO3 and chloride salts mixture and heated at 1000 °C for 60 min. The Mo2C coating greatly enhanced the bond between the aluminum matrix and carbon fiber, leading to improvements in the densification behavior and bending strength of the coated composites. The enhanced thermal properties including improved thermal conductivity and reduced coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) were also achieved by the Mo2C coating. The in-plane thermal conductivity of 60 vol.% Mo2C-coated carbon fiber/Al composite was 221 W·m−1·K−1 enhanced by 92% compared to that of uncoated composite and the CTE was 6.0 × 10–6 K−1 which was suitable for electronic packaging materials.

In-situ constructing continuous networks composed of SiC nanowires for enhancing the thermal conductivity of epoxy composites

With the rapid miniaturization and high degree of integration of modern electronic devices, there is an increasing demand for high-performance polymer-based thermal management materials. SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) are very promising fillers benefiting from their large aspect ratio and ease of constructing thermally conductive networks. However, the traditional random mixing method allows the SiCNWs to form a thermally conductive network only through physical overlap, resulting in a high interfacial thermal resistance. To address this problem, an innovative strategy for in-situ generating continuous network composed of SiCNWs was proposed in this study, in which the SiCNWs was formed through impregnation-sintering process using an inexpensive polyurethane (PU) sponge as a template. The porous skeletons were sintered by numerous SiCNWs, which not only conferred more thermally conductive pathways, but also solved the problem of weak bonding at the SiCNWs random lap interface. On this basis, the SiC skeletons were further used as reinforcement to prepare epoxy (EP)-based composites. Benefiting from the continuous thermally conductive networks composed of SiCNWs, the composites achieved a thermal conductivity (TC) of ∼1.17 W m−1 K−1 at a low volume fraction of 21.18 vol%, which was 548.7 % higher than that of pure EP. In addition, the unique SiCNWs skeletons also facilitated the enhancement of mechanical properties and thermal stability of the composites, providing new insight for the preparation of innovative thermal management materials.

Dual role of two-dimensional graphene in silica aerogel composite: Thermal resistance and heat node

Incorporating two-dimensional graphene sheets, known for their high in-plane thermal conductivity, into silica aerogel enhances both the thermal insulation and mechanical properties of the composite. This work delves into the impact of graphene doping on the solid thermal conductivity of silica composites and their mechanical characteristics, employing molecular dynamics simulations that encompass both amorphous silica bulk and porous silica aerogel structures. Our findings reveal that graphene–silica interface thermal resistance notably restricts heat conduction in graphene doped silica aerogel, with the most pronounced effect occurring when graphene aligns vertically with the heat flux. Within porous silica aerogel, graphene serves as a “heat node”, bridging and connecting adjacent pores. A notable “trade-off” emerges: high weight percentages of graphene sheets augment heat transfer through the “heat node effect”, whereas the interfacial thermal resistance between graphene and aerogel reduces solid heat transfer, leading to decreased thermal conductivity. Additionally, while the inclusion of graphene sheets offers limited mechanical property enhancements, their two-dimensional structure can cause detachment and slipping from the silica matrix, leading to localized improvements in mechanical strength. This work sets the stage for advancing graphene-based aerogel composites characterized by low thermal conductivity and enhanced mechanical properties.

Effect of different titanium addition methods on the properties of diamond/Cu composites

Due to the low bonding strength between diamond and copper, the thermal conductivity and mechanical strength of diamond/copper composites are affected. In order to improve the interface bonding strength, this paper prepared diamond/Cu composites with titanium element in two forms: adding titanium to the copper matrix and using titanium coated diamond particles, respectively. The microstructure and composition analysis of the materials were carried out through SEM, EDS, AFM, etc. The bending strength and thermal conductivity of titanium coated diamond/copper composites reached 230 MPa and 480 W/(m·K), respectively, which were higher than the bending strength and thermal conductivity of diamond/Cu composites with added titanium in the matrix (208 MPa and 127 W/(m·K) and significantly higher than the corresponding properties of pure diamond/Cu composites (69 MPa and 108 W/(m·K)). Pre coating a layer of titanium carbide on the surface of diamond can serve as a connecting bridge, effectively reducing interfacial thermal resistance and improving mechanical properties, which is more effective than adding titanium powder to the matrix to improve the bending strength and thermal conductivity of diamond/Cu composites.

Constructing phonon transport bridges via low-temperature sintering in Diamond@Ag/EP composite to achieve efficient 3D networks structure

The rapid advancement of integrated circuits and electronic devices presents challenges to traditional epoxy molding compound (EMC), necessitating the demand for highly thermally conductive yet electrically insulating composites to address the “hotspot issues” in high-power chips. Here, a low-temperature sintering technology based on metal–organic decomposition is developed to fabricate a three-dimensional interconnected networks structure composite (3D-Diamond@Ag/EP). The in-situ decomposition of the silver amine complex on the surface of the Diamond@Ag hybrid filler forms nano-silver bridges, which facilitate the successful construction of the three-dimensional networks structure. When the Ag reaches 4.0 vol%, the thermal conductivity of the composite (reaches 6.42 W/m·K) breaks out of the low numerical blockade of the epoxy resin (0.18 W/m·K), while maintaining excellent insulation performance. It is noteworthy that the great improvement of thermal conductivity is achieved by the synergistic effect of sufficient thermal pathways and minimizing interfacial thermal resistance along these paths. Moreover, this work obtained composite exhibits other excellent thermal characteristics. It provided a practical route to produce high thermal conductivity polymer-based composites with electrical insulation for heat management in modern electronic devices.

An optimizing study of silicon-based microchannels for enhanced thermal transfer

The thermal transport efficiency of microchannel heat sinks is critically influenced by the solid-liquid interface thermal resistance, an aspect that has historically been underappreciated in the design of these systems. We introduce a hybrid model that combines molecular dynamics simulations with computational fluid dynamics to rigorously investigate the interfacial heat transfer characteristics of microchannels. Our methodology involves constructing a nanochannel composed of silicon atoms and water molecules to accurately measure the thermal resistance at the Si–H2O interface. We then extend our analysis by developing two-dimensional rectangular microchannel models. These models are utilized to examine the effects of thermal resistance, channel dimensions, and inlet velocity on the overall interfacial heat transfer rate. Our findings indicate a pronounced size dependency in the variation of the total heat transfer rate, highlighting the critical role of scale in these systems. Significantly, enhancements in heat transfer efficiency are observed with an increase in inlet velocity and a reduction in thermal resistance. These results underscore the importance of optimizing both physical and operational parameters to enhance the efficiency of microchannel heat sinks. The findings are expected to inform future designs and promote more efficient thermal management solutions in various applications.

Interfacial thermal resistance effect in self-aligned top-gate a-IGZO thin film transistors

This study investigates the interfacial thermal resistance effect, primarily associated with the bottom-gate stack, in self-aligned top-gate amorphous indium gallium zinc oxide (a-IGZO) thin-film transistors (TFTs). We analyze self-heating and heat transfer characteristics across three different a-IGZO TFT configurations: single-gate, dual-gate type 1, and dual-gate type 2. Temperature maps, corresponding to various bias conditions, are acquired using infrared thermal microscopy. The extracted values of thermal resistance reveal a significant disparity between single- and dual-gate configurations. This suggests that the bottom-gate stack in a-IGZO TFTs, including the interfaces, notably impedes heat dissipation. These findings offer crucial insights into the power dissipation aspects of TFT technology, highlighting the importance of interfacial design for thermal management in advanced electronic devices.

Enhanced thermal conductivity of PVDF by filling with T‐ZnOw and MWCNT based on hybrid 3D network

AbstractIn this work, a novel approach is taken to enhance the thermal conductivity and mechanical properties of composites by developing highly efficient thermally conductive PVDF‐based composites. This is developed by incorporating tetra‐pod zinc oxide whiskers (T‐ZnOw) in conjunction with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) to form binary hybrid fillers within a polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) matrix. Polydopamine (PDA), characterized by physical adsorption, is selected for surface coating on T‐ZnOw since T‐ZnOw is easy to self‐agglomerate and difficult to modify by physical and chemical methods. The coating aims to improve the dispersibility of T‐ZnOw and reduce the interfacial thermal resistance with the substrate. MWCNT is oxidized to improve its dispersion ability while strengthening the interaction with the matrix, due to the absence of interaction between MWCNTs and polymer matrix and poor dispersibility with the matrix. The dispersity of PDA@T‐ZnOw and o‐MWCNT is improved, and the three‐dimensional hybrid network structure can be better constructed to improve the thermal conductivity of the composite membrane. At a filler content of 25 wt%, the thermal conductivity reaches 0.302 W m−1 K−1 for T‐ZnOw–MWCNT–PVDF and 0.222 W m−1 K−1 for PDA@T‐ZnOw–o‐MWCNT–PVDF.

Interweaved filler network in epoxy resin with reduced interface thermal resistance via in-situ high-temperature “welding” for significantly improved thermal conductivity

For heterogeneous integration in harsh environments, polymeric materials are required to integrate excellent insulating property with significant thermal conductivity. Traditional discrete fillers used in polymeric matrix to create thermal pathways introduce numerous contact interfaces, leading to limited thermal conductivity enhancement efficiency (TCE) and unstable dielectric properties. Here, a distinctive strategy, involving the preparation of an interweaved thermally conductive filler with inherent heat channels through self-templated electrospinning and in-situ high-temperature “interface welding”, is proposed to reduce the interface thermal resistance (ITR). The growth of grains at high temperature facilitates the process of “interface welding”, while self-templated electrospinning establishes intrinsic thermal conduction pathways. Consequently, the epoxy resin fortified with this interweaved filler exhibits an exceptionally TCE of 162.15 % and enhanced in-plane thermal conductivity of 3.75 W m−1 K−1 at ultra-low filler ratio of 7.10 vol%. The combination of high electrical insulation of filler and low filler content results in excellent electrical insulating property (>1017 Ω cm) and stable dielectric properties over a frequency range of 103-106 Hz, enabling the successful implementation of heterogeneous integration in challenging environments. This work has the potential to offer a groundbreaking approach for achieving interconnected functional networks within polymer-based composites.

Thermal conductivity of composites with heterogeneous fillers under effects of interface thermal resistance

There has been significant interest in enhancing the effective thermal conductivity (ETC) of polymer by incorporating spherical hybrid fillers. However, the effect of interface thermal resistance (Rc) on the ETC of composites has not been investigated. In this paper, this effect is investigated. Meanwhile, the combined effects of filler thermal conductivities (K1, K2), filler sizes (V1, V2), the Rc sum (R*c1 + R*c2) and the Rc ratio (R*c1/R*c2) are also considered. The results show that for a given K1, K2 and R*c1 + R*c2, the ETC is largely independent of R*c1/R*c2 when the R*c1 + R*c2 is less than 10−4. However, when the R*c1/R*c2 ranges from 10−2 to 10, the competing effects of hybrid fillers Rc have a significant effect on the ETC. The ETC is not affected by the TC of filler-1 when K1 exceeds a critical value of 103, instead becoming dependent on K2. For each sum of Rc, there exists a critical value of R*c1/R*c2 where the ETC reaches its nadir, this critical value is influenced by the R*c1 + R*c2, V and K of two fillers. The Rc of fillers with high K is <10−2, it is not feasible to improve the ETC by continuing to reduce its Rc, this value is 10−4 for fillers with low K.

Nitrogen-doped bean-like SiC-based nanofibers for thermal insulation and electromagnetic wave absorption

SiC nanofibers that can be used to absorb electromagnetic wave (EMW) radiation and as thermal insulators simultaneously are highly desirable. In this work, nitrogen-doped bean-like SiC-based nanofibers were prepared by a simple electrospinning and high-temperature pyrolysis in a nitrogen atmosphere, focusing on studying the effects of nitrogen atom doping on the microstructure, EMW absorption, and thermal insulation properties of the fibers. The results showed that nitrogen doping promoted the formation of the SiOxCyNz phase in the fibers, which improved their interfacial thermal resistance and endowed the fibers with extremely low thermal conductivities (∼0.024 W·m−1·K−1 at 25 ℃, 0.092 W·m−1·K−1 at 1000 ℃). Furthermore, the density of carbon defects in the fibers was improved by nitrogen doping, which created numerous new polarization centers and effectively improved the dielectric loss. With a 4 mm thickness, a minimum reflection loss of −51.8 dB was exhibited at 6.3 GHz, indicating that these fibers are highly promising as an absorption material in harsh environments.

Multiphase Symbiotic Engineered Elastic Ceramic-Carbon Aerogels with Advanced Thermal Protection in Extreme Oxidative Environments.

Elastic aerogels can dissipate aerodynamic forces and thermal stresses by reversible slipping or deforming to avoid sudden failure caused by stress concentration, making them the most promising candidates for thermal protection in aerospace applications. However, existing elastic aerogels face difficulties achieving reliable protection above 1500°C in aerobic environments due to their poor thermomechanical stability and significantly increased thermal conductivity at elevated temperatures. Here, a multiphase sequence and multiscale structural engineering strategy is proposed to synthesize mullite-carbon hybrid nanofibrous aerogels. The heterogeneous symbiotic effect between components simultaneously inhibits ceramic crystalline coarsening and carbon thermal etching, thus ensuring the thermal stability of the nanofiber building blocks. Efficient load transfer and high interfacial thermal resistance at crystalline-amorphous phase boundaries on the microscopic scale, coupled with mesoscale lamellar cellular and locally closed-pore structures, achieve rapid stress dissipation and thermal energy attenuation in aerogels. This robust thermal protection material system is compatible with ultralight density (30mg cm-3), reversible compression strain of 60%, extraordinary thermomechanical stability (up to 1600°C in oxidative environments), and ultralow thermal conductivity (50.58mW m-1 K-1 at 300 °C), offering new options and possibilities to cope with the harsh operating environments faced by space exploration.

Reduced interfacial thermal resistance in acidic alumina-filled adhesives for heat dissipative applications

Reduced interfacial thermal resistance in acidic alumina-filled adhesives for heat dissipative applications

Unveiling the magic of twist angle: Thermal transport in Two-dimensional Graphene/MoS2/Graphene Heterostructures

Thermal transport properties of two-dimensional vdW heterostructures have attracted considerable research interests in electron-related devices due to their powerful capability of multi-functional integration. Herein, we investigated the in-plane and out-of-plane thermal conductivity of graphene/MoS2 heterostructures under various twist angles utilizing molecular dynamics simulations. It was found that the in-plane thermal conductivity of MoS2 layer in heterostructures decreases with twist angle. Notably, the lowest thermal conductivity occurs at a twist angle of 10.893°, just 47.3 % of that in untwisted MoS2 layers in heterostructure. In addition, the interlayer interfacial thermal resistance between graphene and MoS2 layer increases with the twist angle but decreases with the layer numbers of graphene. The atomic position deviation, potential energy surface, phonon state of density are calculated to reveal the regulation mechanism of thermal conductivity by twist angle. Interestingly, it is found that the twist angles and the layer numbers of graphene can control the atomic vibration arising from potential energy surfaces and phonon transport through the overlap of phonon density of states between graphene and MoS2 layers. This study can provide valuable insights into the thermal conductivity modulation and phonon transport mechanism of heterostructures.

Comparison of SiNx Dielectric Layer Grown by Plasma‐Enhanced Chemical Vapor Deposition, Low‐Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition, and Metal‐Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition in Diamond‐ and GaN‐Based Integrated Devices

To address the issue of heat dissipation caused by the high output power density of gallium nitride (GaN) devices, using diamond‐integrated devices is an effective solution. Recent studies have suggested that incorporating a dielectric layer, such as silicon nitride (SiNx), between diamond and GaN can improve adhesion while also reducing thermal boundary resistance (TBR). In this study, plasma‐enhanced chemical vapor deposition (CVD), low‐pressure CVD, and metal‐organic CVD (MOCVD) techniques are utilized to grow the SiNx layer. The interface behavior of diamond/SiNx/GaN is analyzed through scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning TEM, and energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, while time‐domain thermoreflectance measurement is used to characterize thermal properties. After analyzing the impact of the growth dielectric layer on the interface thermal resistance of the three growth modes, it is concluded that the dielectric layer produced by the MOCVD technique exhibits a smoother surface and lower TBR compared to the other two methods. Therefore, the use of the MOCVD technique is recommended to achieve optimal thermal performance in diamond/SiNx/GaN systems.

Equivalent Thermal Conductivity of Topology-Optimized Composite Structure for Three Typical Conductive Heat Transfer Models

Composite materials and structural optimization are important research topics in heat transfer enhancement. The current evaluation parameter for the conductive heat transfer capability of composites is effective thermal conductivity (ETC); however, this parameter has not been studied or analyzed for its applicability to different heat transfer models and composite structures. In addition, the optimized composite structures of a specific object will vary when different optimization methods and criteria are employed. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate a suitable method and parameter for evaluating the heat transfer capability of optimized composites under different heat transfer models. Therefore, this study analyzes and summarizes three typical conductive heat transfer models: surface-to-surface (S-to-S), volume-to-surface (V-to-S), and volume-to-volume (V-to-V) models. The equivalent thermal conductivity (keq) is proposed to evaluate the conductive heat transfer capability of topology-optimized composite structures under the three models. A validated simulation method is used to obtain the key parameters for calculating keq. The influences of the interfacial thermal resistance and size effect on keq are considered. The results show that the composite structure optimized for the V-to-S and V-to-V models has a keq value of only 79.4 W m−1 K−1 under the S-to-S model. However, the keq values are 233.4 W m−1 K−1 and 240.3 W m−1 K−1 under the V-to-S and V-to-V models, respectively, which are approximately 41% greater than those of the in-parallel structure. It can be demonstrated that keq is more suitable than the ETC for evaluating the V-to-S and V-to-V heat transfer capabilities of composite structures. The proposed keq can serve as a characteristic parameter that is beneficial for heat transfer analysis and composite structural optimization.

Experimental Study on Interface Thermal Resistance of Heat Dissipation Channel in Low-Temperature Detector

Abstract To achieve a good heat dissipation effect in the heat dissipation channel of the low-temperature detector, it is necessary to study the thermal conductivity performance of GD414C and indium foil between detector and thermal conductive aluminum block. Based on the experimental principle and referring to the ASTM D-5470 testing method, a set of interface thermal resistance experimental testing equipment is designed. The experiment comparatively studies the relationship between the temperature difference between detector and thermal conductive aluminum block (TCAB) under different power and thermal conductive fillers. The experimental results show that when GD414C is filled between detector and thermal conductive aluminum block, the total thermal resistance is 0.728 ℃/W. When 0.1-mm-thick indium foil is filled, the total thermal resistance is 0.235 ℃/W. When 0.2-mm-thick indium foil is filled, the total thermal resistance is 0.123 ℃/W. Therefore, 0.2-mm-thick indium foil should be selected as the thermal conductive filler.

Strategies for optimizing interfacial thermal resistance of thermally conductive hexagonal boron nitride/polymer composites: A review

AbstractWith the continuous development of high‐end electronic information technologies such as 5G communications, thermal management is an urgent issue in the electronic and circuit industries due to the miniaturization, functionalization and integration. Recently, polymer‐based composites with the fillers of hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) have been regarded as promising candidates resulting from their excellent thermal conductivity (TC), good insulation and remarkable comprehensive properties. However, the high surface inertness of h‐BN itself, incompatibility with matrix and other fillers and mismatch of phonon‐spectrum will bring about the matrix/filler and filler/filler interfacial thermal resistance (ITR), which will greatly decline the TC of the composites, and limit their thermal management ability. Therefore, how to design, regulate and improve the interfacial states in composites and eventually enhance the TC is a current challenge. Researchers have made great effort to reduce the ITR of the composites to improve their TC. However, a comprehensive summary and analysis of researches on the improvement methods of the interface states in composites in the past 3 years is still lacking. In this work, the commonly used mechanism models, and simulation methods for calculating and predicting TC was summarized. From perspectives of Synthesis of h‐BNNs, modification, orientation, bridging and three‐dimensional structures construction, we reviewed strategies for improving the interface states in composites, and focused on the ITR regulation and TC improvement. The improvement effects of various methods on TC were compared. The development trend of high TC composite materials was prospected.Highlights Crystallinity, defect, size, flatness, thickness of hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) affect interfacial thermal resistance (ITR). Nature of interaction between adjacent layers of BNNS need exploited. Interface and defect are root cause of extra phonon scattering. Shape, density, surface area, distribution and compatibility reduce ITR. Theory, model, simulation methods need developed on different levels.

Boosting thermal energy transport across the interface between phase change materials and metals via self-assembled monolayers

Thermal energy storage using phase change materials (PCMs) has great potential to reduce the weather dependency of sustainable energy sources. However, the low thermal conductivity of most PCMs is a long-standing bottleneck for large-scale practical applications. In modifications to increase the thermal conductivity of PCMs, the interfacial thermal resistance (ITR) between PCMs and discrete additives or porous networks reduces the effective thermal energy transport. In this work, we investigated the ITR between a metal (gold) and a polyol solid–liquid PCM (erythritol) at various temperatures including temperatures below the melting point (300 and 350 K), near the melting point (390, 400, 410 K, etc) and above the melting point (450 and 500 K) adopting non-equilibrium molecular dynamics. Since the gold-erythritol interfacial thermal conductance (ITC) is low regardless of whether erythritol is melted or not (<40 MW m−2 K−1), self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) were used to boost the interfacial thermal energy transport. The SAM with carboxyl groups was found to increase the ITC most (by a factor of 7–9). As the temperature increases, the ITC significantly increases (by ∼50 MW m−2 K−1) below the melting point but decreases little above the melting point. Further analysis revealed that the most obvious influencing factor is the interfacial binding energy. This work could build on existing composite PCM solutions to further improve heat transfer efficiency of energy storage applications in both liquid and solid states.

Interfacial thermal resistance between mechanically exfoliated nm-thick MoS2 and silicon from −60 °C to 50 °C based on ns-ET Raman technique

In the miniaturization and integration development of micro-devices, the large thermal contact resistance significantly affects the overall performance of micro-devices, which is influenced by both interfacial contact condition and material properties. However, the temperature dependence of interfacial thermal resistance of realistic materials remains unclear. In this work, the interfacial thermal resistance between nm-thick MoS2 nanosheets and Si substrate is measured by using the ns energy transport state-resolved Raman (ns ET-Raman) technique. By comparing the experimental data with finite difference numerical simulation, the real value of the interfacial thermal resistance is determined. By changing the ambient temperature from -60 °C to 50 °C, the interfacial thermal resistance against temperature curve is obtained. As the environmental temperature deviates from room temperature, a large increasement of the interfacial thermal resistance can be observed. As temperature goes back to room temperature, the unreversible interfacial thermal resistance indicates that the large thermal expansion mismatch deteriorates the contact situation. In the last, the interfacial thermal resistance evolution under varying environmental temperatures from both experiments and modeling results in literatures are compared and discussed to illustrate the effect of different interface formation methods. For epitaxial and CVD grown materials, the interfacial thermal resistance generally reduces with raising ambient temperature. While for mechanically exfoliated samples, the effect of thermal expansion mismatch and the resulting gaps dominate the interfacial thermal resistance, which leads to non-monotonous temperature dependency with a valley located at room temperature.