"Dry-to-the-touch" thermal grease

Abstract

Most thermal engineers believe that thermal greases (or heat sink compounds) provide the lowest thermal resistance of all thermal interface materials. Micro-faze/sup (R)/ is a proprietary design, dry-to-the-touch thermal grease product that offers the lowest thermal resistance at low closure force, thus eliminating the need to sacrifice thermal performance for convenience. This dry grease is totally adaptable to die-cut and possesses a natural tackiness that allows it to adhere to a component or heat sink without using adhesives that degrade thermal performance. The material also exhibits a positive CTE and its thixotropic properties allow it to wet surfaces, further improving interface contact. It is electrically insulating in one version. It is silicone-free in both versions so that contamination problems are avoided. With thermal management becoming ever more complex, engineers must measure the convenience of silicone elastomer thermal pads and more recent wax-based phase-change materials against the superior performance demonstrated by thermal grease. Although easy to use, thermal pads still show a relatively high thermal resistance; phase-change materials may perform better, yet bear limitations in performance. While grease offers superior performance, it can be messy and difficult to handle, thereby becoming labor intensive, making these considerations key factors in the rationale for product development. This paper describes a new thermal interface material that uses all of the advantages of grease replacements, with the lowest thermal resistance of actual thermal grease.