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The development of thermal interface materials

Nature Electronics volume 8, pages 1146–1155 (2025)Cite this article

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Abstract

Increasing power densities in microprocessors and artificial intelligence hardware are pushing the thermal limits of electronic systems, and thermal interface materials—thin layers that conduct heat between dissimilar surfaces—are central to addressing this challenge. Classical models suggest that efficient heat transfer is possible with such materials, but real-world performance is always limited by nanoscale roughness, imperfect contacts and degradation under thermal cycling. Here we explore the development of thermal interface materials. We examine the physical origin of interfacial thermal resistance and consider its impact on device scaling, efficiency and reliability. We then discuss material and design strategies that can balance thermal conductivity with mechanical compliance, bond line thickness and electrical insulation. Finally, we highlight the need to treat thermal interface materials, not as passive fillings, but as integral system components that are co-designed alongside device architectures, and propose an integrated engineering framework for the future development of thermal interface materials.

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Fig. 1: Origins of interface thermal resistance.
Fig. 2: Strategies for reducing effective thermal resistance at interfaces.
Fig. 3: Integrated engineering framework for future TIMs.

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Acknowledgements

K.W. acknowledges the support by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (52522304 and 52373042), and the Institutional Research Fund from Sichuan University (2024SCUQJTX015). G.Y. acknowledges the support from Welch Foundation Award F-1861, Norman Hackerman Award in Chemical Research, and John J. McKetta Centennial Energy Chair endowment from UT Austin.

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  1. These authors contributed equally: Zhengli Dou, Chuxin Lei.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Polymer Science and Engineering, National Key Laboratory of Advanced Polymer Materials, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

    Zhengli Dou & Kai Wu

  2. Materials Science and Engineering Program and Walker Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA

    Chuxin Lei & Guihua Yu

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G.Y. and K.W. conceived of and guided the writing of this article. Z.D. and C.L. helped with the initial literature study and figure design. All the authors contributed to the writing, editing and revising of the article.

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Correspondence to Kai Wu or Guihua Yu.

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Dou, Z., Lei, C., Wu, K. et al. The development of thermal interface materials. Nat Electron 8, 1146–1155 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-025-01543-7

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