Cooling benefit evaluation of a central processing unit using thermal interface materials with hybrid additives

In this study, the atmospheric plasma (APP) surface modification technology was used to modify the surface of additive materials and mix them into the commercial thermal interface material (base-TIM). This technology allows for the preparation of a hybrid additives thermal interface material (HA-TIM) to improve the heat conduction performance of the base-TIM. The additives selected for HA-TIM include aluminum nitride (AlN), multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and graphene flakes (GNFs) with different proportions. Additives with different sizes, shapes, and high thermal conductivity were expected to achieve a synergistic effect to produce an HA-TIM with high heat dissipation performance. After the preparation of the HA-TIM with different configuration ratios was completed, heat dissipation performance experiments would be carried out under different heating power and ambient temperature to determine the optimal configuration ratio of the HA-TIM. The results show that the HA-TIM prepared by adding 1 wt% GNFs and 1 wt% MWCNTs to the base-TIM has the best heat conduction performance. In the optimum configuration of the HA-TIM at the heating power of 50 W, 100 W, and 150 W, the heater surface temperature under the ambient temperature of 25 °C is 1.0 °C, 3.0 °C, and 4.2 °C lower than those of base-TIM, and the heater surface temperature under the ambient temperature of 30 °C is 1.1 °C, 3.2 °C, and 6.3 °C lower than those of base-TIM, respectively. Furthermore, the results show that HA-TIM has a better heat dissipation performance under high ambient temperature and heating power.