Lightweight, High Thermal Conductivity Materials for Thermal Management Applications

The objective of this proposal is to develop a lightweight, high thermal conductivity material with a tailorable coefficient of thermal expansion for laser technology components leading to higher power lasers. In high performance electronics, packaging is the limiting factor in electrical circuit efficiency. Specifically, thermal management, along with reliability and the trend toward miniaturization, are essential factors in successful electronic design. In addition, the trend toward lightweight packaging is getting more and more attention due to portable handheld devices and space applications. With both the increasing density of components and the increasing power from these components, thermal management materials having high thermal conductivity are needed. Without efficient heat dissipation, the increased laser operating temperatures would lead to increased component failure rates. This program proposes an innovative material that has a thermal conductivity greater than 800 W/m°K, CTE that matches Si and GaAs, and still remains cost effective.