Owing to the increasing demand for the miniaturization and integration of electronic devices, thermal interface materials (TIMs) are crucial components for removing heat and improving the lifetime and safety of electronic devices. Among these, thermal pads are reusable alternatives to thermal paste-type TIMs; however, conventional thermal pads comprise a homogeneous polymer with low thermal conductivity. Composite materials of thermally conducting fillers and polymer matrices are considered suitable alternatives to high-performance pad materials owing to their controllable thermal properties. However, they degrade the thermal performance of the filler materials at high loading ratios via aggregation. In this study, we propose novel nanocomposites using densely aligned MgO nanowire fillers and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) matrices. The developed nanocomposites ensured the enhanced thermal conducting properties, while maintaining mechanical flexibility. The three-step preparation process involves the (i) fabrication of the MgO structure using a freeze dryer; (ii) compression of the MgO structure; and (iii) the infiltration of PDMS in the structure. The resulting aligned composites exhibited a superior thermal conductivity (approximately 1.18 W m-1K-1) to that of pure PDMS and composites with the same filler ratios of randomly distributed MgO fillers. Additionally, the MgO/PDMS composites exhibited adequate electrical insulating properties, with a room-temperature resistivity of 7.92 × 1015 Ω∙cm.
Keywords: aligned MgO nanowire; thermal application; thermal conductivity; thermal pad composite.