Evaluation of characterization methods for solid thermal interface materials

The thermal contact between semiconductor component and heat sink has a strong influence on performance and lifetime of electrical devices. Thermal interface materials are used to improve this contact. In this methodology study we compare three common measurement methods used for the characterization of thermal interface materials: transient plane source, DynTIM (similar to the ASTM D5740 standard) and LaserFlash. We investigated a wide range of typical thermal interface materials in order to explore the limits of the different measurement systems. A guideline for the right usage and limits of the individual methods is given.