Development of High Thermal Conductivity Metal Matrix NanoComposites for Thermal Management

"Thermal management is in many areas key to solving problems related to an improvement in the performance of electrical components. With IC miniaturization trends, ever increasing clock speeds, and the proliferation of intelligent power control modules thatmagnify die level heat generation, there is an emerging need for new, high performance substrate and heat sink materials which can effectively maintain the temperature of semiconductor devices at acceptable levels. The preferred characteristics of suchsubstrate materials are high thermal conductivity, a coefficient of thermal expansion which matches that of the semiconductor die, mechanical and chemical durablity, and appropriate electrical properties. The main objective of this proposal is to producean advanced composite packaging material with these properties using carbon nanotubes in a copper matrix. Metal matrix composites are materials that have tailorable properties through adjustment of the filler type, amount, particle size, and orientation.This project will result in the first demonstration of copper-carbon metal matrix composites which utilize carbon nanotubes. The composites will be fabricated by powder mixing and hot pressing. The structure and properties, including thermal conductivity,of the resultant material will be thoroughly characterized. It is expected that this project will result in a unique material with a very high thermal conductivity, a tailorable thermal