The staff at the Georgia Institute of Technology (GTRI) has recently developed a groundbreaking silver-doped diamond solid-state composite material that shows exceptional thermal conductivity, making it highly promising for use in microelectronics. This innovative material outperforms traditional heat transfer solutions, offering a more efficient way to manage heat in high-performance electronic devices.
This new composite is designed as an ultra-thin thermal pad, with a thickness of less than 250 microns. By carefully adjusting the ratio of diamond and silver, the team was able to create a material that not only conducts heat efficiently but also minimizes space usage — a critical factor in modern electronics where components are packed tightly together.
In applications such as high-power wide-bandgap semiconductors, this material can be used to transfer heat from the device to heat sinks, significantly reducing operating temperatures. The development of this composite is especially important for next-generation technologies like phased array radar systems, where maintaining low temperatures is essential for performance and reliability.
Diamond itself is known for its remarkable thermal conductivity, reaching up to 2000 W/(m·K), while silver, one of the best metallic conductors, has a thermal conductivity of around 400 W/(m·K). When combined, the silver-doped diamond composite achieves a thermal conductivity nearly 25% higher than copper, which is widely used in current thermal management systems.
According to Jason Nadler, the lead researcher on the project, the material successfully reduced device temperatures from 285°C down to 181°C. The initial gasket sample contained 50% diamond and was just 250 microns thick. Further tests showed that increasing the diamond content to 85% still allowed the material to remain under 250 microns, with a significant improvement in thermal performance.
Nadler emphasized that no existing material currently matches the combination of thermal conductivity and thinness offered by this silver-doped diamond composite. He believes the technology has vast potential across various industries, particularly in defense and high-performance computing sectors.
One of the key advantages of this composite is its ability to match the thermal expansion coefficients of different materials. Diamond has a very low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) at 2 ppm/K, while wide-bandgap semiconductors like silicon carbide and gallium nitride have CTEs ranging from 3 to 5 ppm/K. To bridge this gap, the GTRI team introduced silver, which has a CTE of 20 ppm/K, and adjusted the composition to ensure compatibility between the semiconductor and the thermal pad.
By surrounding diamond particles with a soft, ductile silver matrix, the team created a stable and flexible composite that can be precisely cut for high-accuracy applications. This allows the material to be securely bonded to other components, such as semiconductors, ensuring long-term reliability.
Moreover, the integration of silver enhances the thermal performance of the composite by facilitating phonon movement between diamond particles. This improves heat transfer efficiency, making the material ideal for use in high-temperature environments.
To further refine the material, the research team has developed advanced imaging analysis tools to study the distribution of diamond particles and how they are coated by the silver matrix. These insights will help optimize the performance of future versions of the composite.
Overall, this silver-doped diamond composite represents a major advancement in thermal management technology, offering a unique solution for cooling high-power electronic systems. Its potential applications extend far beyond microelectronics, with promising implications for aerospace, defense, and industrial sectors.
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