Dr. Jean-François SILVAIN is a Senior Researcher in the “Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Bordeaux” (ICMCB-CNRS) and an Adjunct Professor of Engineering at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL). He received his bachelor’s degree from Poitiers University (France) in 1980, and PhD degree from Poitiers University (France) in 1984 both in Material Science. From 1987 to 2002, he was a CNRS Research Fellow at the University of Nancy (France). He joined ICMCB-CNRS in 1992. He has over 25 years of experience in composite materials, processing and characterization at micro and nano scales. Dr. SILVAIN’s main field of interest is processing and the characterization of inorganic multi materials ranging from metal matrix composites (MMCs) to functionally graded materials (FGM) with the aim to develop materials with adaptive physical (thermal, electrical) and mechanical properties. Dr. SILVAIN is currently working on 1) new processes for metal powders, such as hot extrusion process, semi-liquid process and spark plasma sintering and 2) laser-matter interactions and laser additive manufacturing.
A review of processing of Cu/C base plate composites for interfacial control and improved properties
doi: 10.1088/2631-7990/ab61c5
- Publish Date: 2020-03-01
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Key words:
- metal matrix composite /
- physical properties /
- interface/interphase /
- copper /
- carbon reinforcement
Abstract:
Metal matrix composite (MMC) materials have attracted tremendous interest since the early 2000s because of their superior physical, mechanical, thermal, and electrical properties compared to pure metals or alloys. The interest in developing MMCs can be explained by their unique features but especially by the fact that the properties can be tailored depending on the nature and concentration of the reinforcements. MMCs have found applications in a vast number of industries, such as aerospace, automotive, electronics which are the focus here.
The constant increase of power and packing densities in power electronic devices has led to heat dissipation issues. Significant demand for developing an efficient heat-dissipating material with a high thermal conductivity (TC) and a low coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) has appeared in the past decades. To meet this demand, it is necessary to fabricate a material compatible with the electronic chip while ensuring the reliability of the power modules. Among the large number of MMCs, copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) are the most advanced composites for thermal management applications (i.e., base plate, heat sink, and exchanger). Often carbon materials (C) such as carbon fibers, diamond, graphene or carbon nanotubes are added to the metal matrix because of their high TC and low CTE values. Cu/C and Al/C composites materials have already demonstrated their superior properties compare to current electronic packaging. Lower and tailorable CTE were observed depending on the volume fraction of reinforcement (e.g., CTE decreases when C concentration increases). High heat dissipation capability was shown, which surpass commercial heat exchangers. The addition of a lightweight reinforcement lowered the density of the material, making them attractive for aeronautics applications. Finally, high stiffness at elevated temperatures was tested and resulted in dimensional stability for high-temperature applications. Also, it is worth to note that the final properties of MMCs depend not only on the primary constituent of the materials but also on the fabrication methods.
In this paper, the Cu/C composites fabricated by powder metallurgy and hot uniaxial pressing are reviewed. Thermal analyses indicate that interfacial treatment is required to achieve high thermal and thermomechanical properties for all processing methods. An in-depth review of the interface control through novel surface treatments is presented such as interphase creation and unique processing methods. The review also focuses on the thermal transfer between the matrix and reinforcement. It is shown that proper control of the interfaces will form the right chemical/mechanical bonding, which enhances thermal and thermomechanical properties of the Cu/C composites.
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