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Technology Stocks : Intel Corporation (INTC)
INTC 46.48-4.5%Jan 30 3:59 PM EST
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To: mikey who wrote (49903)3/6/1998 1:18:00 PM
From: John Donahoe  Read Replies (1) of 186894
 
"would like to let you know that every device that has a heat sink attached to it has some type of thermal "goop" used in between the parts. the reason is that metal to metal contact is not a very efficient(SP) heat conductor."

Metal to metal contact is best as long as you have very uniformally machined flat surfaces and sufficient contact pressure. The trade off is the difference between thermal resistivity of the "goop" layer and "metal to metal contact". The "goop" isn't zero resistivity. And it's also messy. It also adds to production costs if you have to apply it by hand. If you had a way to insure that you could mount "metal to metal" and it had better or as good thermal conductivity then the "goop" does, would you not do it?

JD

PS: Not every device mounted to a heat sink uses goop. I don't use it on our heat sinks. And military electronics is required to operate at much more sever environmental conditions than commercial.
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