title: Improvement of thermal contact resistance by carbon nanotubes and nanofibers.
abstract: Interfacial thermal resistance results of various nanotube and nanofiber coatings, prepared by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) methods, are reported at relatively low clamping pressures. The five types of samples examined include multi-walled and single-walled nanotubes growth by CVD, multi-walled nanotubes grown by plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD) and carbon nanofibers of differing aspect ratio grown by PECVD. Of the samples examined, only high aspect ratio nanofibers and thermally grown multi-walled nanotubes show an improvement in thermal contact resistance. The improvement is approximately a 60% lower thermal resistance than a bare Si-Cu interface and is comparable to that attained by commercially available thermal interface materials.
authors.affiliation: Center for Nanotechnology, NASA Ames Research Center Moffett Field, California 94035, USA.
authors.forename: Helen F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.forename: Sarah M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meyyappan
authors.forename: Brett A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Cruden
mesh_terms: D003460:Crystallization / Q000379:methods*; D006358:Hot Temperature; D008422:Materials Testing; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000379:methods*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013814:Thermal Conductivity
chemical_list: D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon