Synergistic Surface-Interface Engineering within Self-Assembled Carbon Nanofiber Film for Efficient and Robust...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermal Engineering
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Phase-change cooling is crucial for managing heat in high-power electronics.
• Interfacial thermal resistance and bubble detachment limit current cooling film performance.
• Nanoengineered surfaces offer potential for improved heat dissipation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel carbon nanofiber film (CNFF) for enhanced phase-change cooling.
• To address limitations of interfacial thermal resistance and film detachment.
• To achieve efficient thermal management in high-power electronics and energy systems.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of CNFF on a copper substrate using bubble-induced self-assembly and annealing.
• Characterization of CNFF morphology, wettability, and interfacial properties.
• Evaluation of thermal performance, including critical heat flux and heat transfer coefficient.

Main Results:

• CNFF exhibited superwetting and ultralow bubble adhesion force.
• C-O-Cu covalent bonding at the interface reduced thermal resistance and improved film robustness.
• Achieved a critical heat flux of 47.1 W/cm² and heat transfer coefficient of 46.6 kW/(m²·K), significantly outperforming pristine copper.

Conclusions:

• Synergistic surface-interface engineering with CNFF provides a high-performance solution for phase-change cooling.
• The developed method enables robust and long-term thermal management for high-power chips.
• This approach offers an energy-efficient path for next-generation electronics cooling.