Thermal interface materials with adhesive selant for electronic components
View Patent ↗In one example, an apparatus is described, which includes an electronic component, a thermal dissipation unit, a thermal interface material disposed between the electronic component and the thermal dissipation unit, and an adhesive sealant applied around the thermal interface material between the electronic component and the thermal dissipation unit.
1. A method of forming an electronic assembly, comprising:
depositing a thermal interface material on a surface of an electronic component, wherein the thermal interface material comprises a liquid metal;
bonding the electronic component and a heat sink by disposing the thermal interface material between the electronic component and the heat sink;
applying an adhesive sealant to seal the thermal interface material between the electronic component and the heat sink, wherein the adhesive sealant is in contact with the thermal interface material and is configured to provide dimensional stability to the thermal interface material, and
prior to depositing the thermal interface material on the surface of at least one of the electronic component or the heat sink, drying the electronic component and the heat sink with heat.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the liquid metal is capable of forming a transient liquid phase bond.
3. The method of claim 2 ,
wherein drying the electronic component and the heat sink with heat is carried out at a temperature in a range from 105° C. to 110° C. for about 15 minutes.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive sealant is applied around the thermal interface material by coating along a periphery of the thermal interface material, and wherein the adhesive sealant is made up of at least one material selected from the group consisting of neoprene, ethylene-propylene-diene, silicone, natural rubber, carhoxylated nitrile, hydrogenated nitrile, fluoro-silicone, urethane, hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride, isoprene, isobutene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, polysiloxane, nitrile-butadiene, and rubber-based adhesives.
5. A method of forming an electronic assembly, comprising:
attaching an electronic component and a heat sink by disposing a thermal interface material between the electronic component and the heat sink, wherein attaching the electronic component and the heat sink comprises:
depositing the thermal interface material on a surface of at least one of the electronic component and the heat sink, wherein the thermal interface material comprises a liquid metal capable of forming a transient liquid phase bond, and
attaching the heat sink to the electronic component with the thermal interface material deposited in between;
drying the electronic component and the heat sink with heat prior to depositing the thermal interface material on the surface of at least one of the electronic component and the heat sink; and
applying an adhesive sealant to seal the thermal interface material between the electronic component and the heat sink.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the adhesive sealant is applied around the thermal interface material by coating along a periphery of the thermal interface material.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the thermal interface material comprises an amorphous metal composition selected from the group consisting of gallium, indium, tin, and zinc.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein the adhesive sealant is made up of at least one adhesive selected from the group consisting of neoprene, ethylene-propylene-diene, silicone, natural rubber, carboxylated nitrile, hydrogenated nitrile, fluoro-silicone, urethane, hexafluoropropylene-vinylidene fluoride, isoprene, isobutene-isoprene, styrene-butadiene, polysiloxane, nitrile-butadiene, and rubber-based adhesives; or wherein the adhesive sealant comprises at least one thermally conductive material selected from the group of graphene, carbon nanotube, graphite, aluminium, copper, silver, silicon, gold, diamond, and synthetic thermal conductive materials; or both.
9. The method of claim 5 , wherein the adhesive sealant comprises a combination of adhesives and thermally conductive materials, and wherein a thermal dissipation unit comprises one of the heat sink or a heat spreader.
10. The method of claim 5 , wherein drying the electronic component or the heat sink with heat is carried out at a temperature in a range from 105° C. to 110° C. for about 15 minutes.