A NOVEL REINFORCING FIBER FOR ENHANCING THERMAL MANAGEMENT

IT IS WELL-ESTABLISHED THAT POOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT IS A LIMITING FACTOR IN RELIABILITY AND LIFETIME OF ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS IN ADVANCED ELECTRONIC SUBSTRATES OR HEAT SINKS. FUNDAMENTAL PROCESSES FOR PRODUCING A NOVEL DIAMOND FIBER WITH ENHANCED PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ARE BEING STUDIED. THE FIBERS ARE BEING PRODUCED BY DEPOSITING POLYCRYSTALLINE DIAMOND FILMS ON HIGHLY GRAPHIC, MICRON-SIZE FIBER THROUGH A PLASMA ENHANCED CHEMICAL VAPOR DEPOSITION (PECVD) TECHNIQUE. IF THE PROCESS CAN BE DEVELOPED TO GENERATE CONTINUOUS LENGTHS OF NEAR SINGLE CRYSTAL DIAMOND FIBER, THE RESULTING FIBER WOULD HAVE ISOTROPIC PROPERTIES OF THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY, A POSITIVE COEFFICIENT OF THERMAL EXPANSION, GOOD MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, CHEMICAL DURABILITY, HERMETICITY, AND RESISTANCE TO DEGRADATION BY IONIZING RADIATION. SUCCESSFUL DEVELOPMENT OF NEAR SINGLE CRYSTAL CONTINUOUS DIAMOND FIBER PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT ADDITION TO AVAILABLE MATERIALS FOR METAL MATRIX ENGINE COMPONENTS, RUGGED LOW LOSS FIBER OPTICS, AND COMPOSITES FOR THERMAL MANAGEMENT IN ELECTRONIC SUBSTRATES.