TY - JOUR
TI - Prediction of the contact thermal resistance of vertical carbon nanotube arrays
AU - Shi Bo
AU - Zhang Han
AU - Zhang Jin
JN - Thermal Science
PY - 2020
VL - 24
IS - 2
SP - 745
EP - 756
PT - Article
AB - The Vertical carbon nanotube arrays (VACNTs), as a result of its flexibility  and axial high thermal conductivity, exert a huge potential and play an  increasingly important role in thermal interface materials (TIMs). This  paper proposed a model which can predict the contact thermal resistance of  VACNTs. The contact thermal resistance of VACNTs under different pressures  is calculated and compared with the experimental data. Also, the effect of  variations in the surface roughness and VACNTs parameters on the contact  thermal resistance is investigated. Results show that the theoretical  results are in good agreement with the experimental data. The contact  thermal resistance is composed of interfacial thermal resistance,  constriction thermal resistance, and VACNTs resistance. Among which the  interfacial thermal resistance is the major thermal resistance. The  variations in VACNTs-length and diameter can change the bending degree of  VACNTs under the same pressure, which presents important implications on  contact thermal resistance and can be used to optimize the contact thermal  resistance of VACNTs. The surface roughness exerts little effect on contact  thermal resistance.