Thermal Conductivity of Carbon Nanotube/Copper Composites Fabricated by Colloidal Process

Abstract

Carbon nanotubes (CNT) have many interesting properties such as high thermal conductivity. Therefore, Cu/CNT composites are expected to be applied as heat sink material with good thermal properties.
In this study, Cu/CNT precursor in which CNT distributed homogeneously was fabricated by colloidal process, and homogeneous distribution of CNT in Cu matrix was also observed in Cu/CNT composites sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS). According to the analysis of gas generated from high-temperature precursor, structural defect of CNT, and oxygen content, SPS proved useful to reduce CNT's structural defects compare to conventional sintering methods. Using SPS in vacuum atmosphere, composites can be successfully formed with low temperature in short time. Existence of amorphous layer at Cu/CNT and Cu/Cu interface was observed by FETEM.