Highly Thermally Conductive Anisotropic Thermoplastic Film Adhesive

"In this effort, Foster-Miller will develop an affordable and novel high temperature resistant, thermally conductive polymeric adhesive for bonding high-power electronic structures. The Foster-Miller system will consist of a highly adhesive thermoplasticfilm with the conductive filler aligned through the thickness of the film. This anisotropic adhesive will maximize thermal conductivity and heat throughput by directing heat flow in the desired direction - away from the heat generating components and intothe heat sink. A novel electrical alignment technique will be utilized to align the filler, thereby maximizing its effectiveness by allowing higher unidirectional conductivity while retaining the adhesive properties of the polymer. The use of commerciallyavailable, high temperature elastomeric thermoplastic, cast into a film creates a system that has a high bond strength and can be readily reworked upon application of minimal heat, while being able to meet the mechanical and environmental propertiesrequired for Navy applications. These meltable films have the further advantages of a very short application time because there is no curing, and they do not require the use of autoclaves. The resulting film adhesive can be processed using typicalequipment utilized in the microelectronics industry. (P-020138) Development of a highly thermally conductive adhesive will help solve the ever increasing "heat problem" associated with high pow