Patent ID: 7347354

Claim:
A method comprising: preparing a bonding surface of a heat dissipating member by removing an oxidation layer from the bonding surface and plating the bonding surface with at least one wetting layer; and bonding a metallic solder thermal interface material to the bonding surface, the thermal interface material to thermally couple the heat dissipating member to a heat conducting component by an impermanent attachment, the thermal interface material having a melting point of 200° C. or less and having a phase change temperature within a range of operating temperatures of a thermally coupled component, the metallic solder thermal interface material comprising indium or an alloy thereof, the bonding including: providing a solid piece of the thermal interface material in a vacuum chamber under vacuum conditions, heating the thermal interface material to a temperature below an oxidation temperature of metal in the vacuum and providing a pressurized inert atmosphere in the vacuum chamber to form liquid metallic solder such that gravity reflows the liquid metallic solder over the bonding surface, the pressurized inert atmosphere being from about 15 to about 40 pounds per square inch (p.s.i.), and applying a force to the heat dissipating member to compress the heat dissipating member against the thermal interface material.