Heat Sinks & Thermal Management



Finish

The finish on a heat sink can be very important. Finishes help protect the base material from problems such as corrosion or oxidation. At elevated temperatures, many materials commonly used to fabricate heat sinks will experience issues. Common finishing techniques include plating and anodizing.

Copper, copper tungsten and other copper alloy heat sinks are generally nickel plated. Gold plating is also very common to improve protection and aid wire bonding. Aluminum heat sinks are sometimes anodized to protect from oxidation.

Ceramic materials used in high temperature applications are common for many reasons. Aluminum oxide, aluminum nitride and beryllium oxide are three common materials. These materials are non-reactive and do not need protective coatings in most cases but they are often metallized to improve subsequent attachment via soldering or brazing.

There are other important factors to consider. For example, surface finish, flatness, profile, parallelism and other features are key to heat transfer. If parts are not in direct contact, the heat will not be able to flow well because of the insulating properties of air.








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