Thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material and method of bonding with same

A method of bonding two surfaces with a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a liquid adhesive;
• (b) providing a non-solidified filler containing a liquid metal;
• (c) mixing the non-solidified filler into the liquid adhesive;
• (d) contacting the liquid adhesive to the surfaces;
• (e) contacting separate spaced regions of the dispersed filler in non-solidified state to the surfaces, each of said regions contacting both surfaces without contacting other of said regions;
• and
• (f) transforming the liquid adhesive into a harder adhesive which provides a mechanical bond between the surfaces wherein the filler in each region provides a separate continuous thermally and electrically conductive path between and in contact with the surfaces.

A method of bonding two surfaces with a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a partially cured unhardened adhesive;
• (b) providing a non-solidified filler containing a liquid metal;
• (c) mixing non-solidified filler into the partially cured adhesive;
• (d) contacting the partially cured unhardened adhesive to the surfaces;
• (e) contacting separate spaced regions of the dispersed non-solidified filler to the surfaces, each of said regions contacting both surfaces without contacting other of said regions;
• and
• (f) transforming the partially cured unhardened adhesive into a harder adhesive which provides a mechanical bond between the surfaces wherein the filler in each region provides a separate continuous thermally and electrically conductive path between and in contact with the surfaces.

A method of bonding two surfaces with a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an unhardened adhesive;
• (b) providing a filler containing a liquid metal;
• (c) dispersing the filler into the unhardened adhesive;
• (d) providing a plurality of solid spacer particles;
• (e) dispersing the spacer particles into the unhardened adhesive;
• (f) contacting the unhardened adhesive to the surfaces;
• (g) contacting separate spaced regions of the dispersed filler in non-solidified state to the surfaces, each of said regions contacting both surfaces without contacting other of said regions, and contacting the spacer particles to the surfaces thereby assuring a spacing between the surfaces;
• and
• (h) transforming the unhardened adhesive into a harder adhesive which provides a mechanical bond between the surfaces wherein the filler in each region provides a separate continuous thermally and electrically conductive path between and in contact with the surfaces.

A method of bonding two surfaces with a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an unhardened adhesive;
• (b) providing a filler containing a liquid metal;
• (c) providing an electronic component comprising a plurality of the leads with outer lead ends, said leads extending outwardly from the electronic component, said outer lead ends providing one of the bonded surfaces;
• (d) providing an electrical interconnect substrate comprising a plurality of the electrical bonding pads, said bondings pad being the other of the bonded surfaces;
• (e) dispersing the filler into the unhardened adhesive;
• (f) disposing a mixture of the unhardened adhesive and dispersed filler onto the bonding pads;
• (g) inserting the outer lead ends into the mixture on the bonding pads such that the mixture surrounds the outer lead ends;
• (h) contacting separate spaced regions of the dispersed filler in non-solidified state to the surfaces, each of said regions contacting both surfaces without contacting other of said regions;
• (i) transforming the unhardened adhesive into a harder adhesive which provides a mechanical bond between the surfaces wherein the filler in each region provides a separate continuous thermally and electrically conductive path between and in contact with the surfaces;
• and
• (j) forming a plurality of the bonds between the surfaces, each bond comprising the harder adhesive and the paths, such that each of the outer lead ends is bonded to a separate bonding pad thereby surface mounting the electronic component on the substrate wherein the thermal, electrical and mechanical connections between the electronic component and the substrate include the outer lead ends and the bonds;
• wherein steps (f), (f) and (i) are performed in sequence.

A method of bonding two electrical components with a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a first electrical component containing a first surface with first bonding pads;
• (b) providing a second component containing a second surface with second bonding pads, the first and second pads being in one-to-one correspondence with one another and forming matching pairs of pads;
• (c) providing a liquid adhesive;
• (d) providing liquid gallium;
• (e) randomly dispersing the liquid gallium into the liquid adhesive;
• (f) vertically aligning the components so as to form matching pairs of first and second pads;
• (g) contacting the liquid adhesive to the surfaces;
• (h) contacting separate spaced regions of the dispersed liquid gallium to the surfaces, the regions contacting both surfaces without contacting other of said regions wherein each matching pair of pads is connected by at least one region therebetween before the completion of step (i);
• and
• (i) transforming the liquid adhesive into a solid adhesive which provides a secure mechanical bond between the surfaces wherein the liquid gallium in the regions between each matching pair of pads provides a continuous thermally and electrically conductive metal bridge connecting the matching pair of pads without connecting any non-matching pads.

A method of bonding two surfaces with a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive material, comprising the following steps in the sequence set forth:

• (a) randomly dispersing a filler containing a liquid metal into an unhardened adhesive;
• (b) contacting the unhardened adhesive and the filler in non-solidified state to the surfaces resulting in separate spaced regions of the non-solidified filler contacting both surfaces before the completion of step (c);
• and
• (c) increasing the hardness of the unhardened adhesive to form a harder adhesive which provides a mechanical bond between the surfaces wherein the filler in each region provides a separate continuous thermally and electrically conductive metal bridge between and in contact with the surfaces.

A method of bonding two surfaces with a thermally conductive adhesive material, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an unhardened adhesive;
• (b) providing a filler containing a liquid metal;
• (c) randomly dispersing the filler into the unhardened adhesive;
• (d) contacting the unhardened adhesive containing the filler in non-solidified state to the surfaces before the completion of step (e);
• and
• (e) hardening the unhardened adhesive wherein a harder adhesive provides a mechanical bond between the surfaces and the filler provides a thermally conductive path between the surfaces.

A bonded assembly of electrical components, comprising:

• a first electrical component;
• a second electrical component;
• and
• a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive bonding material positioned between the components, said adhesive bonding material comprising:
• (i) an adhesive in contact with the components so as to mechanically bond the components,
• (ii) a non-solidified filler containing a liquid metal dispersed in separate spaced regions of the adhesive wherein the filler in each region contacts the components and forms a continuous thermally and electrically conductive metal bridge between the components, and
• (iii) a plurality of solid spacer particles, each spacer particle in contact with both components thereby assuring a spacing between the components.

A bonded assembly of electrical components, comprising:

• a thermally and electrically conductive adhesive bonding material positioned between and bonded to the insulating layer and the metallization layer, said adhesive bonding material comprising:
• (i) an adhesive in contact with the chip and the substrate so as to mechanically bond the chip and the substrate, and
• (ii) a non-solidified filler containing a liquid metal dispersed in separate spaced regions of the adhesive wherein the filler in each region contacts the chip and the substrate and forms a continuous thermally and electrically conductive metal bridge between the chip and the substrate,
• wherein the insulating layer electrically isolates the chip from the metallized layer of the substrate.