Increase the packing density of vertically aligned carbon nanotube array for the application of thermal interface materials

To fulfill the potential of carbon nanotube (CNT) as thermal interface material (TIM), the packing density of CNT array needs improvement. In this work, two potential ways to increase the packing density of CNT array are tested. They are liquid precursor(LP)CVD and cycled catalyst deposition method. Although LP-CVD turned out to be no help for packing density increase, it is proved to enhance the CNT growth rate. The packing density of CNT array indeed increases with the cycle number. The thermal conductivity of the CNT array increases with the packing density. This work is believed to be a step closer to the real life application of CNT in electronic packaging industry.M.S.Committee Chair: Wong, C.P.; Committee Member: Liu, Meilin; Committee Member: Snyder, Rober