Thermal Interface Materials

Thermal Interface Materials, often abbreviated and TIM materials, are used to dissipate heat as quickly and effectively as possible from the device. But not all devices are the same. Requirements are driven by product use, product life cycle, packaging design, and operating conditions. Smartphones and tablets experience sudden temperature spikes, requiring very high thermal performance, while power electronics in automobiles need extreme thermal stability to meet warranties that stretch over long lifetimes.

That’s why our products optimize thermal impedance. This means that we look at the entire thermal path, not just the thermal interface material itself. This includes the material interfaces, the thermal expansion of the joining interfaces, contact resistance and bond line thicknesses.Moreover, all products are technically reworkable, some easier than others. Our portfolio of materials is designed to dissipate heat away from the IC, in an appropriate way for the device structure, packaging design and application.

The design of Honeywell’s portfolio of phase change materials (PCMs) is driven by an innovative polymer technology and advanced filler system, which can be customized to fit diverse product applications and end uses.In addition to our phase change materials, we offer a variety of products with high thermal conductivity and high compressibility, including thermal gap pads, Thermal Hybrid, thermal grease, thermal insulators, and more. Are you working with optical switches, high Gs and need pluggable thermal interface materials? We are already developing and qualifing variable pluggable TIMS. Contact us for more information.

Thermal Interface Materials
APPLICATION	CATEGORIES	PRODUCTS	KEY FEATURES	THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY (W/m·K)
High Reliability Thin Bondline	Phase Change Materials	LTM6300-SP	Paste Only	1.8-2.4
PCM45F-SP	High Reliability	2.0-2.5
PTM5000	High Reliability	3.5-4.5
PTM5000-SP	Stencil printable	3.5-4.5
PTM6000	High Reliability	3.5-4.5
PTM6000HV	High Viscosity, IGBT printing	5.2
PTM7000	Low TI, High Reliability, Pad form	6.5
PTM7000-SP	Stencil printable	6.5
PTM7000-SPS	Stencil printable with Slow drying time	6.5
PTM7900	Balanced solution, Pad form	8.0
PTM7900-SP	Stencil printable	8.0
PTM7950	High end Phase change, Pad form	8.5
PTM7950-SPS	Stencil print, Slow drying time	8.5
High Compressibility Gap Filler	Thermal Gap Pads	TGP1200	Cost Effectiveness	1.2
TGP1500	Cost Effectiveness	1.5
TGP3000	Low Hardness	3
TGP5000	Low Hardness	5
TGP6000	Low Oil Bleeding	6
TGP8000	Low Oil Bleeding, Low Outgassing, Low Hardness	8
TGP8000HV	High Breakdown Voltage	8
Thermal Putty Pads	TGP3500PT	Extra Soft	3.5
TGP6000PT	Extra Soft	6
TGP8000PT	Extra Soft	8
Thermal Conductivity Electrical Isolation	Thermal Insulators	TIP1500	High Breakdown Voltage	1.5
TIP3500	High Breakdown Voltage	3.5
Ease of Application Ultra-Thin Bondline (	Thermal Grease	TG2000I	Cost Effectiveness, Electrical Isolation	2
TG2800I	Cost Effectiveness, Electrical Isolation	2.8
TG3000	Cost Effectiveness	3
TG3000I	Cost Effectiveness, Electrical Isolation	3
TG4000	High TC, Low TI	4
TG5500	High TC, Low TI	5.5
Automation Gap Filler	One-Part Hybrid	HT3500	Cost Effectiveness	3.5
HT4500	Printable, Thermally stable	4.5
HT5010	Pre-cure, Low Oil Bleeding	5
HT7000	Pre-cure, Low Oil Bleeding	7
HT9000	Pre-cure, Low Oil Bleeding	9
HT10000	Pre-cure, Low Oil Bleeding	10
Automation Gap Filler	Two-Part Hybrid	HLT2000	Cost Effectiveness	2
HLT2000LV	Low Volatility	2
HLT3000	Stencil print, No moisture absorption	3
HLT3500	Cost Effectiveness	3.5
HLT7000	High Reliability, Easy to Dispense	7
HLT10000	High Reliability, Easy to Dispense	10

Thermal Interface Materials

APPLICATION

Thermal interface materials

Introduction

The modern electronics industry is constantly advancing toward higher power consumption and more integrated functions and miniaturization, resulting in a sharp increase in the power density of modern electronic devices. In fact, we have entered the era of 5G.

Therefore, efficient heat dissipation has become an even more critical requirement for the design of modern electronic packages. Thermal interface materials (TIMs) are widely employed to manufacture the most critical parts in the heat dissipation system, to cool and protect integrated circuit (IC) chips.

Honeywell TIMs are based on proprietary technologies of polymer matrices and thermally conductive fillers, enabling them to handle challenging heat dissipation issues with long-term reliability and low cost of ownership.

Thermal Performance

Increasing power densities are raising device temperatures — requiring more effective TIM solutions that must deliver low thermal impedance and high bulk conductivity. Reducing operating temperature can reduce device throttling, while increasing efficiency and design flexibility.

Product Life Cycle & Reliability

Mobile products such as tablets and smartphones have a relatively short product life, but still require thermal management to protect from extreme and sudden bursts of energy and temperature spikes. Conversely, automotive, power and server products must remain robust for significantly longer product life cycles.

These applications involve harsh operating conditions such as extreme heat and humidity, which must be taken into account in choosing the best TIM material. The key requirement in these applications is not just immediate performance but also sustained, long-term thermal stability

Gaps & Bondline Thickness

IC designers are continually looking for ways to achieve more processing power in less space. Additionally, high power devices with dedicated heat sinks aim to achieve an extremely thin TIM bond line with low thermal impedance and a reduced thermal path. To add to the complexity, chip-scale packages assembled on a PC board will share the same heat spreader but will have different heights with varying gaps, requiring a TIM that delivers both thermal and compressible properties. Taking all this into consideration, it is important for today’s TIMs to provide effective thermal management in increasingly constrained environments and different assembly designs.

Thermal Management Solutions Fundamentals

This presentation introduces the fundamentals of thermal management for electronic systems and high-power devices. It covers the principles of heat generation and transfer, common thermal interface materials, cooling technologies, and material selection considerations to help engineers improve system reliability, performance, and long-term operational efficiency.

Product Selection Guide

Having a hard time deciding where you should start? Use this handy decision-making steps to select the properties that are most important to your application.

1. Applications

What are the most proven applications? You could quickly find the most common application scenarios of each TIM, which means they are widely applied in those industries.

2. Bondline Thickness

Dimensions matter a lot! The space between the component and heat sink is very small, from microns to millimeters. Honeywell TIMs provide various materials with different bondline thickness for your applications.

thermal interface material comparison chart

3. Will the TIM be applied automatically or manually?

Do you want to automatically apply your TIMs, including stencil printing and dispensing? The liquid version TIMs are a good choice in this case, such as phase change material SP version, hybrid and thermal grease.

Thermal interface material being applied manually or by automatic process

4. Thermal Performance

Increasing power densities are raising device temperatures — requiring more effective TIM solutions that must deliver low thermal impedance and high bulk conductivity. Sometimes excellent dielectric properties are also required, such as high breakdown voltage.

5. Reliability and Other Features

Some applications involve harsh operating conditions such as extreme heat and humidity, which must be taken into account in choosing the best TIM material. Various key features of TIMs suit for different application scenarios, which not only achieve immediate performance but also sustained, long-term thermal stability.

Key Features	Thin Bond Line Materials (0.07mm~0.1mm)		Gap Filler Materials (0.1mm~5mm)
Key Features	Phase Change Materials	Thermal Greases	Thermal Gap Pads	Thermal Putty Pads	One-part Hybrid	Two-Part Hybrid
Silicone-Free	✓	✗	✗	✗	✗	✗
Reliability	Excellent	Medium	Excellent	Excellent	Medium	Excellent
Comformability	Excellent	Excellent	Medium	Excellent	Excellent	Excellent
Printable/Dispensable	✓	✓	✗	✗	✓	✓
Single Process	✗	✓	✓	✓	✓	✗
Temperature Range	<125°C	<200°C	<200°C	<200°C	<200°C	<200°C
Pros	Conformable Highest reliability Silicone-free Clean and efficient	Less costly conformable Screen printable	Easy application Vibration dampening Vertical reliability	Easy application High compressibility Low surface impedance	Pre-cured Support dispensing and assembling separately RT storage	High dispensing rate High reliability Vertical assembly Okay RT storage
Cons	Spring pressure required Initial heat cycle required Limist temperature range	Prone to pump out/dry out Messy	Less conformable Minimum thickness 0.2mm	No recovery Minimum thickness 0.5mm	Slump causes vertical reliability concerns Crack & slump risk after thermal cycling	Requires post dispensing curing Not good for re-work Filler & silicone separation risk

Thermal Interface Material Design Advantages & Disadvantages

Property	Advantages	Disadvantages
Adhesion	Adhering to surface prevents air encroachment	Transfer of CTE stresses Cure cycle
Increased Viscosity	Material doesn't flow out of the gap	Bond line increase More pressure needed
Viscoelastic Properties	Tune to resist flow	Difficult with resin volume
Increased melting point	Forms solid outer ring to prevent flow	High temperature burn-in Self healin reduced
Cure in place	No flow	Delamination potential 2k, 1K issues

Presentations

Thermal Interface Material Material Characterization & Testing

This presentation highlights the characterization, testing, and evaluation of thermal interface materials (TIMs), along with Solstice's laboratory capabilities. It covers key thermal and mechanical performance tests, industry-standard characterization methods, and application-specific validation processes used to ensure reliable material selection and optimized thermal management in advanced electronic systems.

View Thermal Interface Materials Applications

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About Krayden

About Krayden

Thermal Interface materials

Thermal Interface Materials

Frequently asked questions

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Thermal interface materials

Introduction

Thermal Performance

Product Life Cycle & Reliability

Gaps & Bondline Thickness

Thermal Management Solutions Fundamentals

Product Selection Guide

1. Applications

2. Bondline Thickness

3. Will the TIM be applied automatically or manually?

4. Thermal Performance

5. Reliability and Other Features

Thermal Interface Material Design Advantages & Disadvantages

Presentations

Thermal Interface Material Material Characterization & Testing

View Thermal Interface Materials Applications

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