Fabrication and Performance of Aluminum-Based Composite Wicks Using a Two-Step Laser-Sintering Process

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermal Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• 5G technology demands sophisticated thermal management for compact, high-power devices.
• Aluminum vapor chambers (VCs) offer thermal solutions but are limited by wick capillary performance.
• Existing wick structures face limitations in heat transfer efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and evaluate a novel laser-sintered composite wick for enhanced capillary performance.
• To address the limitations of conventional wicks in aluminum vapor chambers.
• To improve thermal management solutions for next-generation electronic devices.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of microgroove wicks (MW) and groove-spiral woven mesh composite wicks (GSCW) using laser sintering.
• Experimental evaluation of capillary rise using ethanol and acetone as working fluids.
• Characterization of wick structures, including laser spacing and passes.

Main Results:

• The GSCW achieved a capillary height of 84.57 mm, significantly outperforming MW (52.90 mm) and spiral woven mesh (SWM) (61.48 mm).
• The GSCW demonstrated a 90.15% increase in capillary rise compared to MW and a 43.76% increase compared to SWM.
• The GSCW achieved a superior capillary parameter (K/Reff) of 2.769 μm.

Conclusions:

• Laser-sintered composite wicks offer a significant enhancement in capillary performance for aluminum vapor chambers.
• The developed GSCW provides a promising solution for effective thermal management in ultra-thin aluminum VCs.
• This study offers valuable insights for designing advanced composite wicks for demanding electronic applications.