Steppingstone-inspired construction of high vertical thermal conductivity material with low carbon fiber content

Thermal interface materials (TIMs) with good thermal conductivity are paramount in mitigating the heat concentration challenges encountered during the operation of highly integrated components in sophisticated electronic devices. To optimize the comprehensive performance of TIMs, a balance must be struck: minimizing the filler concentration to attenuate materials hardness while maximizing filler content to bolster the thermal conduction pathway. Drawing inspiration from the orientation of tree branches passing through steppingstones in river, a method was proposed in this study. This method exploits the shear effect of carbon fiber (CF), owing to viscosity variances during diameter extrusion, and the differential flow velocity between CF and alumina to induce a significant degree of orientation. Combined with subsequent flipping and bonding, a TIM with vertically oriented CF was prepared. The TIM was obtained with a mere 12.1 wt% CF incorporation, the composite exhibits a through-plane thermal conductivity of 21.29 W/(m·K), representing an enhancement of two orders of magnitude relative to pristine silicone rubber, while retaining its flexibility and deformability. The orientation degree and high efficiency orientation effect of CF have been characterized via scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal conductivity test and light-emitting diode (LED) temperature rise test.