Thermal Modules Cost Reduction Through Innovative Processing of Annealed Pyrolytic Graphite (kTC P 215)

"k Technology Corporation (kTC) produces high-conductivity (5x aluminum) thermal cores (k-CoreTM) for passive cooling of electronic packages. The cores are made by encapsulating annealed pyrolytic graphite (APG) in aluminum. They are currently beingused in premium applications for programs including the F-35. Currently, the APG manufacturing process has about a 30% yield. By developing an innovative, targeted chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process specifically for thermal cores, kTC's plans toincrease the yield of APG to 90% and subsequently reduce the thermal core cost by 40%. The approach is to consider the total APG process (CVD, annealing, and machining) to develop the CVD parameters (flow rates, gas kinetics, mandrel design, gas flowpaths, furnace run times) to produce high yields. Simplified gas dynamics and measured PG deposition data will be used to identify flow, mandrel shapes and deposition rates to produce uniform PG at optimum machinable thicknesses. A PreliminaryDesign of CVD Deposition process system for high yield APG manufacture will be completed. Selected tests will be conducted to verify critical design assumptions. In Phase II of the program, under a CRADA with Kirtland Air Force Base, the process wouldbe developed, tested and demonstrated for full scale production. APG manufacturing processes costs, which amounts to about 50% of the thermal core cost, preclude the cost benefit of wide spre