System for attaching a thermal interface material to a heat sink

A system for attaching a thermal interface material (TIM) to a heat sink positioned on a base layer, the heat sink having a heat sink length and a heat sink width, the system comprising:

• a plurality of treated sections of the base layer around a perimeter of the heat sink, wherein each treated section of the plurality of treated sections comprises a width, and wherein one or more of the width and a surface roughness of each treated section of the plurality of treated sections is based on the TIM, and wherein the plurality of treated sections form a continuous roughness edge, wherein a portion of the TIM extends onto the roughness edge around the heat sink,
• wherein the heat sink extends along a first direction defining a width of the heat sink and a second direction defining a height of the heat sink, the first direction transverse to the second direction along the perimeter,
• wherein an entirety of each section of the plurality of treated sections extends at a non-perpendicular angle with respect to the first direction and the second direction along the perimeter.