Interface material is used to enhance heat transfer by reducing thermal resistance across the interface between the heat source and the heat sink, and to minimize the variance of the interface resistance as compared to just surface-to-surface contact.

Experimental determination shows that the material's thermal resistance is a strong function of contact pressure.

The performance discrepancy between application contact pressure and the pressure used in obtaining manufacturer's published data may result in an erroneous selection of interface material which may lead to a device failure due to a greater-than-expected thermal resistance.

This paper focuses on the testing procedure used for measuring the thermal performance of interface material and relevant implications the test results have on material selection.

The thermal performances of various interface materials are reported.