This huge CPU heatsink could be 25% smaller
With the discovery of new substances comes the development of great products. In 2004, the unique characteristics of graphene were first discovered. Graphene is a substance that is only one layer of carbon atoms thick and possesses extraordinary characteristics. For example, it is stronger than diamonds, conducts electricity better than copper, and is impenetrable to gases and liquids. Researchers are only now starting to develop products and applications where this substance can be put to work.
Jag Kasichainula of North Carolina State University is an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering. He has been researching more efficient ways to cool electronic devices, particularly ones that generate lots of heat such as lasers and power electronics. Dissipating heat is important when designing devices to increase its liability and to keep components from becoming damaged.
Kasichainula recently authored a paper that demonstrates how to dissipate heat 25% faster than conventionally used copper heatsinks. He created heat spreaders from a copper-graphene composite connected to microchips by an indium-graphene interface film. Graphene could be deposited at thicknesses as thin as 200 microns. The high thermal conductivity of both substances allow for unparallelled cooling within electronics. Additionally, due to escalating prices of copper, using a graphene composite mixture can lower costs to create devices.
Manufacturing graphene can be a delicate and expensive process in itself. Many methods exist that are green, made from natural sources, or done quickly. The old adage "cheap, fast, or good, pick two" applies to graphene. In Kasichainula's paper he also discusses manufacturing techniques using an electrochemical deposition process to synthesize a graphene composite. The efficiency of his method is still up in the air.
Although graphene has yet to create a transistor that is ready for complete silicon replacement, we can still use the substance in new ways now. We can all agree, let's get graphene into the mainstream!
Eavesdropper
Also see how graphene can be used to make "auto-cooling chips."
