Thermal interface materials for cooling microelectronic systems: present status and future challenges

Thermal management has become a challenging aspect particularly in the field of microelectronics due to rapid miniaturization and massive scale integration. This has resulted in the generation of enormous amounts of heat that needs to be efficiently transferred from microelectronic devices to ensure longer life cycles. The efficient transfer of heat offers advantages such as achieving higher operating temperatures and prevents component failure. A device engineer has to, therefore, identify methods that would facilitate the efficient transfer of heat from the systems. The existence of an interface between the heat source and the heat sink impedes the efficient transfer of heat. Over the years, researchers have identified techniques that could be employed to reduce the interface impediments. Among these techniques, the application of thermal interface materials (TIMs) at the interface is the most promising and has become an integral part of applications where an efficient transfer of heat across interfaces is desirable. In the present paper, the assessment of contact resistance, properties of interface materials and thermal management of microelectronic devices using TIMs are discussed. The present status of TIMs is critically reviewed and the future challenges are highlighted.