Characterization of transferred vertically aligned carbon nanotubes arrays as thermal interface materials

•High quality vertically aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs) were fabricated on silicon substrate.•VACNTs were transferred from silicon to copper substrate using a novel technique.•Thermal performance was tested using ASTM D5470 methodology.•The lowest thermal resistance achieved was 0.425cm2-K/W at 50psi.•Slight pressure dependency was observed from 20 to 50psi. In this study, a solder-carbon nanotube composite thermal interface material (TIM) was fabricated using vertically-aligned carbon nanotubes (VACNTs). The constructed TIM consisted of vertically-aligned carbon nanotube arrays, which were grown on silicon by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) process and then transferred from the growth substrate and soldered to copper disks on both sides via a bismuth/tin/silver solder. The thermal performance potential of the produced sample as a TIM was measured using ASTM D5470 standard methodology. The interfacial thermal resistance of the transferred CNT-solder composite was examined and reported for pressures of 20psi and 50psi. The average thermal resistance value recorded for the constructed sample was 0.458cm2-K/W at a pressure of 20psi and 0.425cm2-K/W at a pressure of 50psi.