Heat riser
A heat riser for bridging the gap between a heat source and a heat dissipation device in an electronic component, the heat riser formed of a flexible graphite article having two operative surfaces, one of which is in operative contact with a surface of the heat source and the other of which is in operative contact with a surface of the heat dissipation device.
1 . A heat riser for bridging the gap between a heat source and a heat dissipation device in an electronic device, the heat riser comprising a flexible graphite article having two operative surfaces, one of which is in operative contact with a surface of the heat source and the other of which is in operative contact with a surface of the heat dissipation device.
2 . The heat riser of claim 1 , wherein the flexible graphite article comprises at least one sheet of resin impregnated flexible graphite pressure cured at an elevated temperature.
3 . The heat riser of claim 2 , wherein the flexible graphite sheet is pressure cured at a temperature of at least about 90° C. and at a pressure of at least about 7 Mpa.
4 . The heat riser of claim 1 , which exhibits a thermal conductivity which is anisotropic in nature and is at least about 300 W/m° K in one plane.
5 . The heat riser of claim 4 , wherein the anisotropic thermal conductivity varies by a factor of at least 15 as between a plane with a higher thermal conductivity and a plane with lower thermal conductivity.
6 . The heat riser of claim 2 , wherein the pressure cured flexible graphite sheet has a density greater than about 1.85 g/cm 3 .
7 . The heat riser of claim 2 , wherein the sheet of flexible graphite has a resin content of at least about 3% by weight.
8 . The heat riser of claim 7 , wherein the sheet of flexible graphite has a resin content of from about 5% to about 35% by weight.
9 . The heat riser of claim 1 , wherein the operative surface of the heat riser in operative contact with the thermal dissipation device generally corresponds in size and shape to the surface of the heat dissipation device contacted by the heat riser.
10 . The heat riser of claim 9 , wherein the operative surface of the heat riser in operative contact with the heat source is larger in size than the surface of the heat source contacted by the heat riser.
11 . A thermal dissipation system for an electronic component, the system comprising a heat source and a heat dissipation device, and heat riser disposed between the heat source and heat dissipation device, the heat riser comprising a flexible graphite article having two operative surfaces, one of which is in operative contact with a surface of the heat source and the other of which is in operative contact with a surface of the heat dissipation device.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the flexible graphite article comprises at least one sheet of resin impregnated flexible graphite pressure cured at an elevated temperature.
13 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the flexible graphite sheet is pressure cured at a temperature of at least about 90° C. and at a pressure of at least about 7 Mpa.
14 . The system of claim 11 , which exhibits a thermal conductivity which is anisotropic in nature and is at least about 300 W/m° K in one plane.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the anisotropic thermal conductivity varies by a factor of at least 15 as between a plane with a higher thermal conductivity and a plane with lower thermal conductivity.
16 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the pressure cured flexible graphite sheet has a density greater than about 1.85 g/cm 3 .
17 . The system of claim 12 , wherein the sheet of flexible graphite has a resin content of at least about 3% by weight.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the sheet of flexible graphite has a resin content of from about 5% to about 35% by weight.
19 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the operative surface of the heat riser in operative contact with the thermal dissipation device generally corresponds in size and shape to the surface of the heat dissipation device contacted by the heat riser.
20 . The system of claim 19 , wherein the operative surface of the heat riser in operative contact with the heat source is larger in size than the surface of the heat source contacted by the heat riser.