Finite element simulation of the thermal properties of particulate and continuous network-reinforced metal-matrix composites

Abstract

An analysis of the effective coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) and thermal conductivity (TC) of metal-matrix composites was conducted, focusing on composites with potential for use in electronic packaging applications. Using the finite element method, these thermal properties were simulated on discontinuous SiC-particle and continuous three-dimensional SiC-network-reinforced Al-matrix composites. The calculated CTEs of particle-reinforced composites agree well with those predicted by the Kerner model. While these CTEs increase with increasing temperature, the composites with SiC networks were found to exhibit the opposite trend in the high-temperature region (above about 250 °C). The TCs of the three-dimensional SiC-network-reinforced composites are found to be much less sensitive to volume fraction of reinforcement than those of particle-reinforced composites. Continuous three-dimensional network-reinforced composites possess a higher TC than particulate composites, and their CTEs agree well with those of the electronic devices. Therefore, it is possible to use three-dimensional SiC-network-reinforced Al-matrix composites as electronic packaging materials to achieve a high heat dissipation rate and yet to minimize interfacial stresses resulting from a CTE mismatch.