Stepped gaskets for thermal interfaces and methods of making and using thereof

A thermal interface comprising:

• first and second plates;
• a stepped gasket in between the first and second plates;
• and
• one or more fasteners joining the first and the second plates;
• wherein at least one of the first and/or the second plates exhibits plate deformation, deflection, or curvature;
• wherein the stepped gasket comprises a plurality of independent layers and there is at least a first base layer and at least a second layer, stacked on top of and in contact with the first base layer, which has a surface area smaller than the surface area of the first base layer;
• wherein the at least second layer of the stepped gasket provides at least one or more contact regions with the at least one of the first and/or the second plates exhibiting plate deformation, deflection, or curvature, as compared to a single layer gasket that is not stepped;
• and
• wherein each of the plurality of independent layers of the stepped gasket is independently made of a material selected from graphite, carbon fiber, silicone, thermoplastic elastomers, rubber, and acrylic;
• or wherein the first base layer comprises a carbon nanotube array comprising vertically aligned carbon nanotubes grown from opposing surfaces of a first planar substrate and the at least second layer comprises a carbon nanotube array comprising vertically aligned carbon nanotubes grown from opposing surfaces of a second planar substrate and wherein the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of the first base layer at least partially interdigitate the vertically aligned carbon nanotubes of the second layer which are interfacing each other.