Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/1085192
58 DESIGN007 MAGAZINE I FEBRUARY 2019 entire surface area of the mating contact with no excess. Any excess that is pushed out from the interface when, for example, the com- ponent to be thermally managed is brought together with its heat sink, should be removed. Apply too much thermal paste, and it may cause issues with extrusion outside the inter- face boundaries, oil bleed, and most impor- tantly, increased thermal resistance, resulting in reduced heat transfer efficiency. Thermal pastes can be applied via screen or stencil print- ing or by using specially designed dispensing equipment. In all cases, the correct amount of thermal paste should be calculated to ensure only the minimum thermal paste required is deposited at the interface. 5. Why would I choose a gap pad over traditional thermal paste? So far, I've concentrated on thermal pastes, which are essentially liquids of varying viscosi- ties and supplied in several chemical types. Another method is to use gaps pads—sheet materials that can be pre-cut to the size and shape that is required. They are simple and easy to use and typically being applied manu- ally to the surface, so there's no requirement for mixing, preparation, or curing stages. The answer is that gap pads can be a viable solu- tion, particularly for low-volume, hand-assem- bly operations. Conclusion Hopefully, I have suggested some easier routes through the minefield of thermal man- agement material choices! Look out for my next column where I will shed more light on thermal management issues. DESIGN007 Jade Bridges is global technical sup- port manager at Electrolube. To read past columns from Electrolube, click here. To download your copy of Elec- trolube's micro eBook, The Printed Circuit Assembler's Guide to… Conformal Coatings for Harsh Environments, click here. Researchers at Aalto University and the Technical University of Denmark have developed an AI to seriously accelerate the development of new technologies from wearable electronics to flexible solar panels. Artificial intelligence for spectroscopy (ARTIST) instantly deter- mines how a molecule will react to light, which is clinch- pin knowledge for creating the designer materials needed for tomorrow's technology. With ARTIST, the research team offers a paradigm shift how we determine the spectra—or response to light—of individual molecules. ARTIST has the potential to speed up the development of flexible electronics including light- emitting diodes (LEDs) or paper with screen-like abilities. Complementing basic research and characterization in the lab, ARTIST may also hold the key to producing bet- ter batteries and catalysts as well as creating new com- pounds with carefully selected colors. The multidisciplinary team trained the AI in just a few weeks with a dataset of more than 132,000 organic mol- ecules. ARTIST can predict with exceptional accuracy how those molecules—and others similar in nature—will react to a stream of light. The team now hopes to expand its abilities by training ARTIST with even more data to make a more pow- erful tool. The researchers aim to release ARTIST on an open science platform this year. It is currently available for use and further training upon request. (Source: Aalto University) AI Instantly Captures Materials' Properties