Materials Based Solution for ImprovedThermal Management

This Small business Innovation Research Phase I project, will investigate state-of-the art materials to improve thermal management for high power semiconductor devices in ship board applications. This materials based design approach will utilize ultra highconductivity diamond/metal matrix spreader materials which are coupled to evaporative cooling devices utilizing porous graphite foams to allow effective phase change cooling of high power solid state devices. The result is a robust, light weight and lowcost thermal management system for shipboard applications. Particular attention is paid to the joining of the component parts together to avoid interfacial resistance, using fabrication by liquid metal infiltration to eliminate discontinuous interfaceregions. The tremendous commercial potential of this product is for broad use as a thermal management material in power electronics for SiC, GaAs and Si based devices. Thermal management of all types of power electronics components including GaAs andSiC based devices for space and civilian application.