A Device-to-Package Perspective on Thermal Management Materials for Electronic Devices

With the continued miniaturization and integration of electronic devices, power density and local heat flux have increased substantially, making heat dissipation a major constraint on device performance and reliability. Improving thermal transport inside devices through materials engineering has therefore attracted increasing attention. In this review, we systematically summarize the thermal transport mechanisms, recent progress, and manipulation strategies of materials for thermal management of electronic devices along the internal heat-dissipation pathway. At the device and die level, we discuss representative semiconductors, metals, and dielectrics, with emphasis on their thermal transport mechanisms and their thermal conductivity manipulation. In addition, thermal transport across microscopic interfaces is discussed. At the package level, we focus on thermal interface materials (TIMs) with emphasis on their structure-property relationships and thermal performance enhancement strategies. Across these different levels, a common principle emerges: intrinsic thermal conductivity alone is insufficient to determine the thermal performance of a material after integration, because dimensions, processing-induced changes, and interfaces are also important. By analyzing materials along the internal heat-dissipation pathway, this review identifies the key thermal bottlenecks and defines the material and interface requirements for a low-resistance internal heat-dissipation pathway in future electronic devices with high power density and a high degree of integration.