Thermally conductive grease and methods and devices in which said grease is used

1. A grease comprising:

(A) 2 to 50% by weight of a polyorganosiloxane having formula R 1 3 SiO(R 1 2 SiO) α (R 1 R 2 SiO) β SiR 1 3 , where

each R 1 is independently a monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

each R 2 is independently a monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 30 carbon atoms; and

subscripts α and β have values such that the viscosity of ingredient (A) is less than 50 mm 2 /s at 25° C.;

(B) 50 to 98% by weight of a thermally conductive filler comprising aluminum oxide and zinc oxide;

(C) 0.05 to 10% by weight of an alkoxysilane having formula R 5 x Si(OR 6 ) (4-x) , where

x is 1, 2, or 3;

R 5 is a substituted or unsubstituted monovalent hydrocarbon group of 1 to 50 carbon atoms; and

R 6 is an unsubstituted, saturated hydrocarbon group of 1 to 4 carbon atoms;

(D) 0.001 to 1% by weight of an antioxidant; and

(E) 0.001 to 1% by weight of a pigment.

2. The grease of claim 1 , where the polyorganosiloxane has a viscosity of 1 to 47 mm 2 /s.

3. The grease of claim 1 , further comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of: (C) a treating agent, (D) an antioxidant, (E) a vehicle, (F) a wetting agent, (G) an antifoaming agent, (H) a pigment, (I) a flame retardant, (J) a spacer, and (K) a low melting metal.

4. A method comprising: interposing the grease of claim 1 along a thermal path between a heat source and a heat spreader.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the heat source comprises an electronic component.

6. The method of claim 4 , where the heat spreader comprises a heat sink, a thermally conductive plate, a thermally conductive cover, a fan, or a circulating coolant system.

7. A device comprising:

a) an electronic component,

b) an interface material, and

c) a heat sink;

where the interface material is arranged along a thermal path extending from a surface of the electronic component to a surface of the heat sink, where the interface material comprises the grease of claim 1 .

8. A device comprising:

a) a heat spreader, and

b) an interface material on a surface of the heat spreader,

where the interface material and the heat spreader are configured to comprise a portion of a thermally conductive path between an electronic component and a heat sink, and where the interface material comprises the grease of claim 1 .

9. The grease of claim 1 , where the aluminum oxide has an average particle size of 10 micrometers and the zinc oxide has an average particle size of 1 micrometer.

10. The grease of claim 1 , where the polyorganosiloxane is a trimethylsiloxy-terminated dimethyl, methyldecyl siloxane.

11. The grease of claim 1 , where the polyorganosiloxane is a dimethyl, decylsiloxy-terminated dimethyl siloxane.