A nanocomposite material solved the problem of convergence between thermal conductivity and mechanical resistance of thermal interfaces applied in electronic devices. The invention dissipates heat effectively, efficiently and stably over a long period.
The technology, developed by scientists at the Center for Semiconductor Components and Nanotechnologies (CCSNano) and Limeira Technical College (Cotil), both from Unicamp, generated the patent application jointly owned by the University and the Celera Fibers and its subsequent exclusive licensing to the company, a process in which the Innovation Agency Innova Unicamp.
The pioneering material was created based on the market need to offer devices that, avoiding episodes of rapid rise in internal temperature, something seen in currently used technologies, have longer useful lives.
"Every electronic product, powered by an electric current, generates heat as a byproduct. Our role, as a company, is to develop solutions that manage the thermal energy produced in these devices, finding efficient ways to dissipate it into the environment, which guarantees increased durability, reliability and useful life of devices such as LED luminaires. (light-emitting diode), cell phone devices, tablets and electric batteries”, says Alex Souza, CEO of Celera Fibras.
Heat is the main cause of premature failure in electronics. “We are experiencing the miniaturization of electronic components, which, at the same time, offer increasingly greater power and high data processing capacity at high speed. All of this creates a large thermal demand: more and more heat is generated and, therefore, thermal degradation of devices is common. There is, therefore, a need for this heat to be quickly dissipated in order to have better performance, durability and reliability on the part of the equipment”, details Stanislav Moshkalev, researcher at CCSNano.
Thinking about solving this problem, from an analytical and structured perspective towards innovation, Celera began a partnership with CCSNano on projects involving graphene, an important element in the world of heat management as it has high thermal and electrical conductivity. No CCSNano, researchers have been working with graphitic materials since 2011. As they are excellent thermal conductors, these materials can better meet the demands of heat conduction and dissipation than metals, for example.
One of the differences of this technology is the fact that it is a nanocomposite based on carbonic precursors, polymeric matrices and additives, with the appearance of a fluid paste (paste and film). “Over time, we understood that the creation of this composite, bringing together the properties of several components, including graphene, is extremely innovative and beneficial for the device industry, as it allows the union of characteristics – mechanical, thermal and electrical – essential for this market. ”, analyzes Silvia Vaz Guerra Nista, researcher at CCSNano.
In addition to Moshkalev and Nista, inventors Larissa Giorgetti Mendes, from Cotil, and Raluca Savu, from CCSNano, participated in the development of the technology.
Large-scale production: innovation in the lighting and electric vehicle industries
After the patent application, an exclusive licensing agreement was signed with Celera Fibras in 2022. All processes related to the protection and transfer of technology were carried out with the support of Inova Unicamp.
“Inova’s role proved to be fundamental in these procedures: through it, we were able to bring together all the information, as if it were a meeting point between the University and companies and other institutions”, says Moshkalev.
Once licensing is complete, the next steps involve expanding testing from laboratory to commercial scale, making the product available to companies developing devices, with an initial focus on two markets: lighting and electric vehicles.
“Brazil has 18 million lighting points in public areas, and a significant part of this total still uses incandescent lamps. In the coming years, there will be an accelerated migration to LED, seeking, above all, to increase energy efficiency, as this technology produces the same amount of light with 70% less energy consumption. This, therefore, is an important market for the technology developed”, considers Souza.
The electric battery industry aimed at urban mobility is also booming in the country. In the case of these two markets, the idea is that the fluid paste helps to reduce some layers of thermal resistance in the lamp and battery systems.
Samples for customer validation are expected to be available later this year, with possible market entry as early as 2024.
In this process, the end consumer will also benefit. Upon becoming a reality on the market, the nanocomposite product, now within the reach of the population, will bring the following advantages: prolonged useful life and less heating and greater durability, translating into benefits for the University, the companies involved and society .
