Issue link: https://iconnect007.uberflip.com/i/472660
8 SMT Magazine • March 2015 continue toward improving the performance and reliability of the overall system. Thermal Interface material Function Thermal interface materials (TIM) provide a critical function on the external surface of the module or device and within a semiconduc- tor package, such as a high-performance server processor module where several semiconductor die and one or more heat spreaders or a mod- ule lid are employed to provide the most ef- fective heat transfer possible. The critical role of the thermal interface material is to improve the efficiency of heat transfer from the exter- nal mating surface of the semiconductor device and the surface to which it is attached, typi- Reliability of electronic modules and sys- tems is critical. For decades, the need for tem- perature modulation and control has been identified as a principal factor impacting semi- conductor and packaging reliability. In most electronic systems, individual semiconductors are designed, manufactured, and sold for appli- cation within a system manufacturer's product. The interface between the external mounting surface of the semiconductor package and any required thermal management component is increasingly the center of attention as efforts by Tim Jensen and Dave Saums IndIuM CorPorATIon Developments with Metallic Thermal Interface Materials Feature