Semi-in-situ thermal transport characterization of thermal interface materials through a low-frequency thermoreflectance technique

Thermal transport characterization of thermal interface materials (TIMs), especially in their application scenario is so far challenging. Herein, we demonstrate a low- frequency frequency domain thermoreflectance technique to measure the semi-in-situ thermal transport properties of TIMs in a sandwiched structure. The measurement ability is first demonstrated by accurate measurement on several well-known materials. Then the thermal conductivity and interface thermal resistance of a thermal gel, a thermal pad composed of phase change materials and an Indium foil, sandwiched in two silicon slides are investigated. Sensitivity analysis emphasized the importance of pump laser spot size and modulation frequency in the measurement. For TIMs with low thermal conductivity, the sensitivity to interface thermal resistance is highly suppressed, while for TIMs with high thermal conductivity, the sensitivity to interface thermal resistance is prominent, which makes it easier to separately determine the TIM thermal conductivity and interface thermal resistance.