Thermally-conductive polymer and components

A method of forming a heat-exchanging plate comprising:

• providing a polymer plate containing a network of open-cell voids, wherein the network of open-cell voids extends from a first heat-exchanging surface of the polymer plate to a second heat-exchanging surface of the polymer plate;
• depositing a ceramic material within a network of open-cell voids, the ceramic material forming a plurality of thermally-conductive paths from the first heat-exchanging surface of the polymer plate to the second heat-exchanging surface of the polymer plate, wherein the ceramic material is one or more of boron nitride, aluminum nitride, and silicon carbide and depositing the ceramic material comprises:
• depositing the ceramic material around the periphery of each of the thermally-conductive paths using atomic layer deposition to form an open volume circumscribed by the ceramic material that extends along the entire length of the each of plurality of thermally-conductive paths, wherein each of the plurality of thermally-conductive paths has a uniform thickness measured from the peripheral boundary of one of the voids and extends from the first heat-exchanging surface to the second heat-exchanging surface;
• and
• filling the open volume completely with a sealant and thereby preventing fluid communication between the first heat-exchanging surface and the second heat-exchanging surface, the sealant circumscribed by the ceramic material and wherein the sealant is aluminum, copper, or a silicon-based sealant.