The first heatsink to make use of directional carbon nanotubes,
the OCZ Hydrojet, was on display at Computex 2007. Carbon nanotubes, an
allotrope of carbon, are widely regarded as the next major thermal interface
material because of their superior thermal conduction properties. The contact
base of the OCZ Hydrojet is made completely of carbon-nanotubes, which
OCZ
claims is five times more efficient than copper. Carbon nanotubes have been
looked upon as a strong alternative to traditional copper based heatsinks. They
are very ideal for application in heat transfer products because of their
impressive heat-conduction properties. Carbon nanotube based interfaces have
been shown to conduct more heat than conventional thermal interface materials at
the same temperatures. In addition, they have shown to be ballistic conductors
at room temperature, which means electrons can flow through CNTs without
collisions.
Carbon nanotubes are small wire-like structures made out of a sheet of graphene.
The sheet of graphene used to construct CNTs is roughly one-atom thick, and have
been rolled up into a cylinder. The diameter of the cylinder ranges in the
nanometers. Unlike most other thermal materials, carbon nanotubes are able to
move heat in one direction. On the other hand, copper, which is looked upon as
one of the more superior thermal materials, moves heat radially. In the case of
CNTs, heat is moved along the alignment of the nanotubes.