Patent ID: 8081469

Claim:
An electronic assembly comprising: a heat source having a maximum operating temperature; a heat dissipating device; a thermal interface material sandwiched between the heat source and the heat dissipating device, the thermal interface material comprising: a base; a plurality of first thermally conductive particles dispersed in the base, the first thermally conductive particles having a size monotonically changing from a first size less than 100 nanometers and a first melting temperature below the maximum operating temperature, to a second size larger than 100 nanometers and a second melting temperature above the maximum operating temperature, when the heat source operates at a temperature above the first melting temperature and at or below the maximum operating temperature for the first time, the first thermally conductive particles of the first size fuse and agglomerate, and then when the heat source returns to a temperature below the first melting temperature the thermal interface material is cooled to form the first thermally conductive particles of the second size; and a plurality of second thermally conductive particles dispersed in the base, the second thermally conductive particles moving into the first thermally conductive particles of the second size when the heat source operates at the temperature above the first melting temperature and at or below the maximum operating temperature for the first time.