NANOGLUES FOR IMPROVED HEAT TRANSFER

摘要

Heat transfer is a critical aspect of many technologies, such as computers, photovoltaic systems, and light emitting diodes (LED) technologies. As the computer chips grow smaller and more complex, manufacturers constantly look for new ways to remove excess heat from semiconductor devices to improve reliability and performance. In case of photovoltaic devices, the better heat transfer leads to more efficient conversion of sunlight to electrical power. Also, the LED makers are looking for ways to reduce the input power that is lost as heat. The loss in heat occurs in these applications due to bottlenecks for heat-flow occurring at the interface of two materials that hinders the movement of phonons (heat particles). To address this issue, researchers at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute have created new nanoglue through self-assembly of molecules. This nanoglue is a layer of molecules that forms strong links. By placing the same between copper (metal) and silica (ceramic), the research team demonstrated a four-fold increase in thermal conductance at the interface of two materials. These materials would otherwise not stick together. The nanomolecular locking improves adhesion and also syncs the vibrations of atoms that constitute the two materials. Such a practice, facilitate highly efficient transport of phonons.