Purdue's carbon nanotubes could trump heat sinks

For the second time in the past few months, Purdue University is hitting us up with a newfangled idea to keep future rigs cooler. This go 'round, engineers have purportedly figured out how to "grow forests of carbon nanotubes onto the surfaces of computer chips to enhance the flow of heat at a critical point where the chips connect to heat sinks." The nanotubes have outperformed "conventional thermal interface materials" in testing, and being that they don't require "elaborate clean-room environments" to produce, manufacturing them should prove much cheaper to boot. Regrettably, there's no word as to when this development could go commercial, but with users demanding more power and less noise, we're sure there's a market waiting.

[Via Physorg]

[US @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:24AM]

dude, get those janitors out of the lab!

[Joe @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:34AM]

Don't make more energy efficient chips. Don't make less leaky chips. Use carbon nano-tubes.

[Wwhat @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:15PM]

Learn to recognize a joke.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:36PM]

Joke recognized

-as being childish and in poor taste.

Recognize the inappropriate.

[derek @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:53PM]

Racist prick

[DickHardknocks @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:24AM]

In the future, compuers used for pornography will NOT overheat.

[foxdude0486 @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:37AM]

It would feel nice to boast, "Yeah, just got my new Nanotube heatsink in today to keep my Pentium 8Ghz 4 core cool while playing Quake 6."

[Mc Snails @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:42AM]

I for one welcome our carbon nanotube underlords!

[Eric @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:53PM]

God, that saying is SOOOOO friggin annoying.

[Eric @ Oct 2nd 2007 8:52AM]

Are there any products that the average geek out there can buy, today, that use carbon nanotubes? Or is this another high-temperature superconductor dead end?

[malaeum @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:17AM]

I am pretty certain that they claim that these are easier to manufacture than the chip itself.

[Chekote @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:43AM]

"Purdue's carbon nanotubes could *trump* heat sinks"

From the article content it sounds like the nano-tubes work in conjunction with the heat sink by replacing traditional thermal bonding compounds such as Arctic Silver. So no trumping would occur!

[Spyvie @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:56AM]

My thoughts exactly.

This is not a new heatsink, its a new experimental TIM

[Smacksmackums @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:34PM]

I agree. Sounds more like interface material rather than the actual heatsink itself.

Maybe someday instead of overpaying for arctic silver, people can overpay for carbon nanotube forest growing fairy dust to sprinkle on their new cpus.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:39PM]

Unfortunately the writers don't always have a firm grasp on the technical underpinnings of the stuff they love to pontificate about.

It's an odd thing, and unfortunately quite common on the "tech blogs".

[CobraRob @ Oct 2nd 2007 9:53AM]

That is a seriously old manual tuning match in that wave guide.

seems to be based on a reallllly old Etch system

[Paul @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:09AM]

What I am most interested in is using lab grown diamonds as heatsinks. I read an article a few months back about how much more efficient diamonds are at heat transfer than any other material used in heatsinks now.

The major problem however (other than cost) is the fact that natural diamonds are not large enough or uniform enough to use.

I can not wait until they perfect making synthetic diamonds.

[Paul @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:12AM]

Found the wikipedia article on synthetic diamonds: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthetic_diamond

This is sort of parallel to what they are doing here, Diamonds are just extremely densely packed carbon.

[Eric @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:21PM]

Synthetic diamonds are not all equal. The ideal way to make diamond circuits is using carbon vapor deposition. Unfortunately, laying down carbon atoms one layer at a time in a highly charged plasma takes time. So it makes sense to maybe make a diamond that's 0.995 ct. to weigh 1.01 ct - and thus worth a lot more (1 ct is a "magic number").

But CVD should work great for diamond-like ICs. They would operate cooler and transmit eletrons faster than silicon. They already make lots of things out of synthetic diamond. Windows on spacecraft, scaplels, etc. Why not the processor in my MacBook Pro? :D

[Wwhat @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:17PM]

Diamonds are carbon too.

[Paul @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:29PM]

@Wwhat I realize this, as was noted in my immediate reply to my original post.

[heng @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:54PM]

to my knowledge nothing conducts heat better that diamond( nearly 100% ) so no wonder these nanotubes which are also just carbon conduct so well. maybe with some nano heat pipe effect yet?
you want some really large synthetic diamonds? make your own heatsink, go here : www.cvd-diamond.com commercially available! CDsize wafers, polished or raw.

[Panq @ Oct 2nd 2007 3:54PM]

"to my knowledge nothing conducts heat better that diamond( nearly 100% ) so no wonder these nanotubes which are also just carbon conduct so well. maybe with some nano heat pipe effect yet?"

Not sure about the thermal conductivity of diamond, but carbon nanotubes are pretty interesting in this regard. Apparently they're extremely good thermal conductors along their axis, and extremely poor perpendicular - your "Nano heat pipe" analogy is bang on.

[Paul @ Oct 2nd 2007 4:37PM]

I know diamonds are one of the best thermal conductors known to man, you can check out that wikipedia article if you have time I think it references it in there.

[hp540 @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:18AM]

carbon nanotubes....once we perfect those, we can build space elevators!

[hp540 @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:18AM]

carbon nanotubes....once we perfect those, we can build space elevators!

[anonymous @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:12PM]

sounds just as stupid the second time.....

[Cameron @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:36AM]

Boiler up!

[SippieCup @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:48PM]

BTFU! HAIL PURDUE


Making your thermal conductivity needs come true.

[granny down east @ Oct 2nd 2007 11:49AM]

This photo cries out for a caption contest.

[droopy1592 @ Oct 2nd 2007 12:28PM]

Why, so we can hear all of the racist comments?

[granny down east @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:38PM]

I wasn't even thinking that. Look at his body language...that is the point.
Shame on us.

[strider_mt2k @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:41PM]

caption:

Wait for it...

(fart)

[derek @ Oct 2nd 2007 2:58PM]

@droopy1592
What the hell?

Wait... I think i hear something... BOOM!

[Valgas @ Oct 2nd 2007 10:39PM]

"These guys have absolutely no idea what they're doing." "OMG, they look like.... Black guys?". "?". "Affirmative Action.", "Where'd they steal that from?". Some thought bubbles for you commenters.

[Eric Prugh @ Oct 2nd 2007 1:19PM]

GO BOILERS!!!!

[trstar @ Oct 2nd 2007 5:01PM]

@US

You suck.


GO BOILERMAKERS!