A High-Precision Apparatus for the Characterization of Thermal Interface Materials
Citation:
Roger Kempers, Paul Kolodner, Alan Lyons, and Anthony Robinson, A High-Precision Apparatus for the Characterization of Thermal Interface Materials, Review of Scientific Instruments, 80, 9, 2009, 095111-095111-11Download Item:
Abstract:
An apparatus has been designed and constructed to characterize thermal interface materials with
unprecedented precision and sensitivity. The design of the apparatus is based upon a popular
implementation of ASTM D5470 where well-characterized meter bars are used to extrapolate
surface temperatures and measure heat flux through the sample under test. Measurements of thermal
resistance, effective thermal conductivity, and electrical resistance can be made simultaneously as
functions of pressure or sample thickness. This apparatus is unique in that it takes advantage of
small, well-calibrated thermistors for precise temperature measurements 0.001 K and
incorporates simultaneous measurement of electrical resistance of the sample. By employing
precision thermometry, low heater powers and minimal temperature gradients are maintained
through the meter bars, thereby reducing uncertainties due to heat leakage and changes in meter-bar
thermal conductivity. Careful implementation of instrumentation to measure thickness and force
also contributes to a low overall uncertainty. Finally, a robust error analysis provides uncertainties
for all measured and calculated quantities. Baseline tests were performed to demonstrate the
sensitivity and precision of the apparatus by measuring the contact resistance of the meter bars in
contact with each other as representative low specific thermal resistance cases. A minimum specific
thermal resistance of 4.68 10?6 m2 K/W was measured with an uncertainty of 2.7% using a heat
transfer rate of 16.8W. Additionally, example measurements performed on a commercially available
graphite thermal interface material demonstrate the relationship between thermal and electrical
contact resistance. These measurements further demonstrate repeatability in measured effective
thermal conductivity of approximately 1%
Author's Homepage:
http://people.tcd.ie/arobinsDescription:
PUBLISHED
Author: ROBINSON, ANTHONY
Publisher:
American Institute of PhysicsType of material:
Journal ArticleSeries/Report no:
Review of Scientific Instruments;80;
9;
Availability:
Full text availableKeywords:
EngineeringMetadata
Show full item recordLicences: