Compliant fibrous thermal interface

A thermal interface comprising:

• a plurality of thermally conductive fibers embedded in a support material, the support material having a first surface and a second opposing surface and the fibers having first portions that extend upwardly out of the second opposing surface of the support material;
• an encapsulant between the first portions of the fibers and over the support material, the support material, encapsulant, and fibers forming a thermally conductive composite;
• and
• a third surface defining an outermost surface of the thermally conductive composite except for the fiber first portions terminating in tips that are elevationally above the third surface and the encapsulant.

A thermally conductive structure, comprising:

• a layer of adhesive having a pair of opposing surfaces, the opposing surfaces being a first opposing surface and a second opposing surface;
• a plurality of thermally conductive fibers embedded in the adhesive, the fibers having first portions which extend out of the second opposing surface of the layer of adhesive and upwardly from the second opposing surface, the first portions terminating in tips above the second opposing surface of the layer of adhesive, the tips being at a same height above the second opposing surface as one another;
• the thermally conductive fibers being selected from the group consisting of carbon fibers, metal fibers, and ceramic fibers;
• and
• an encapsulant between the first portions of the fibers and over the adhesive, the tips of the fibers extending to above the encapsulant.

A thermally conductive structure, comprising:

• a layer of adhesive having a pair of opposing surfaces, the opposing surfaces being a first opposing surface and a second opposing surface, the first and second surfaces being spaced from one another along a direction defined as a vertical direction;
• a plurality of flocked, thermally conductive fibers embedded in the adhesive, the fibers having first portions which extend upwardly out of the second opposing surface of the layer of adhesive in substantially vertical orientation;
• an encapsulant between the first portions of the fibers and over the adhesive;
• and
• a third surface defining an outermost surface of the thermally conductive structure except for the fiber first portions terminating in tips above the third surface and the encapsulant.

A thermally conductive structure, comprising:

• a layer of adhesive having a pair of opposing surfaces, the opposing surfaces being a first opposing surface and a second opposing surface, the first and second surfaces being spaced from one another along a direction defined as a vertical direction;
• a plurality of flocked, thermally conductive fibers embedded in the adhesive, the fibers having first portions which extend upwardly out of the second opposing surface of the layer of adhesive in substantially vertical orientation, the fiber first portions terminating in tips above the second opposing surface of the layer of adhesive;
• and
• an encapsulant over the adhesive, between the first portions of the fibers, and beneath free tips of the fibers.

A method of making a thermal interface comprising:

• combining an encapsulant with a plurality of thermally conductive fibers, individual fibers having a length and the encapsulant having a thickness;
• encapsulating a portion of the individual lengths of the plurality of fibers, an average length of the fibers being greater than an average thickness of the encapsulant along an average direction of the fiber lengths;
• and
• forming a thermally conductive composite from the encapsulant and the fibers.