Dow Corning, a developer of silicones, silicon-based technology and innovation, today unveiled new Dow Corning TC-3040 Thermally Conductive Gel, a next-generation thermal interface material (TIM 1). Developed through the help of IBM, this cutting-edge new material offers more effective and reliable thermal management, reduced stress and excellent under-die coverage for demanding flip chip applications. Dow Corning unveiled the new product technology here at the IEEE Electronic Components and Technology Conference (ECTC 2015). 

TIM-1 solutions are a class of high-purity, thermal interface materials that are applied between the chip surface and a heat spreader to help dissipate damaging heat to the exterior of a semiconductor package. However, as applications from data centers to consumer devices to automotive electronics all demand higher functioning integrated semiconductor devices with increasing processing power, the temperatures within chip packages are rapidly increasing and testing the limits of conventional TIM-1 solutions.

“A long-time member of IBM’s ecosystem, Dow Corning brought decades of expertise in advanced silicone technology to help formulate this break-through TIM-1 material for high-end chip packaging,” said Andrew Ho, global market segment leader, Semiconductor Packaging Materials at Dow Corning. “It is only the latest innovation on the ambitious roadmap of thermal management solutions that Dow Corning has planned for this rapidly evolving global market.”

The successful efforts of IBM and Dow Corning scientists have raised the bar for TIM-1 performance. Dow Corning TC-3040 Thermally Conductive Gel delivers nearly two times the thermal performance of other industry standard TIMs, as well as high thermal conductivity targeting 4W/mK with robust reliability. As a result, it offers chip-makers broader design options for high-performing yet more reliable ICs with improved thermal management.”