The trend of miniaturization in electronics has led to much greater heat densities within computer chips, demanding high performance heat sinks at smaller and smaller scales. A vertically aligned array of carbon nanotubes could function analogously to a conventional fin or pillar heat sink. Using a nano-porous aluminum oxide template, aligned carbon nanotubes were grown by chemical vapor deposition, and processing parameters were varied for comparison. By applying a constant heat input, the steady state temperature was measured for different surface morphologies, enabling insight into nano-scale convection properties.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• Larsen, Alexander Scott
• Whetstone, Ryan L.

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042710-111805

Advisor

• Liang, Jianyu

Year

• 2010

Date created

• 2010-04-27

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright