Palladium thiolate bonding of carbon nanotubes

US8541058B2 · kind B2 · utility

Inventors

• Timothy S. Fisher · West Lafayette, US
• Stephen L. Hodson · Bothwell, AU
• Baratunde Cola · Atlanta, US
• Thiruvelu Bhuvana · Chennai, IN
• Giridhar Udapi Rao Kulkarni · Bengaluru, IN

Key dates

• Filing date: Mar 8, 2010
• Grant date: Sep 24, 2013
• Expiry date: May 26, 2031

Classification

• Technology area (CPC B): Performing Operations; Transporting
• CPC primary: B82Y40/00
• WIPO field: Micro-structural and nano-technology
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

Carbon nanotube (CNT) arrays are attractive thermal interface materials with high compliance and conductance that can remain effective over a wide temperature range. Disclosed herein are CNT interface structures in which free CNT ends are bonded using palladium hexadecanethiolate Pd(SC16H35)2 to an opposing substrate (one-sided interface) or opposing CNT array (two-sided interface) to enhance contact conductance while maintaining a compliant joint. The palladium weld is mechanically stable at high temperatures. A transient photoacoustic (PA) method is used to measure the thermal resistance of the palladium bonded CNT interfaces. The interfaces were bonded at moderate pressures and then tested at 34 kPa using the PA technique. At an interface temperature of approximately 250° C., one-sided and two-sided palladium bonded interfaces achieved thermal resistances near 10 mm2 K/W and 5 mm2 K/W, respectively.