SBIR Phase I: Low Cost Pressure Infiltration Casting Process to Support High Volume Manufacture of Graphite-Metal Thermal Management Components

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This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a manufacturing technology to support the pressure infiltration casting process to produce large billets of a graphite-metal material. The improved process will yield to substantial finished part cost saving. There is a critical need for advanced materials with improved thermal properties capable of meeting the thermal management requirements of current and future high power electronic systems. The project will focus on the development of the fundamental basis for the casting manufacturing process and procedures required to produce cost-effective graphite-metal materials. This manufacturing technology could enable cost effective graphite-metal material systems with a thermal conductivity greater than that of copper. The heat dissipation rate of electronic systems has increased dramatically as a result of ongoing advances in semiconductor materials, compression of circuit physical architecture, size reduction of packaging envelops and faster switching speed. The broader impacts from this manufacturing technology being developed could enable the cost effective manufacture of graphite-metal materials that achieve the target thermal properties critical to satisfying thermal management solutions for high power applications for which existing thermal management materials are inadequate. The market point of entry for product produced by the casting technology include: (1) advanced high power military and industrial systems (e.g., phased-array radar systems; high energy laser systems; power control, distribution and management systems); (2) telecommunication base stations and (3) high end computers (e.g., servers, work stations, etc.). The commercial market for these HTCC-based materials will develop over a three to five year period, during which time graphite-metal materials will achieve widespread use in a broad spectrum of military, industrial, and commercial high power electronic applications.