Carbon Nanotube Composites for Electronic Packaging Applications: A Review

Composite engineering comprises of metal matrix composites. They have high strength-weight ratio, better stiffness, economical production, and ease of availability of raw materials. The discovery of carbon nanotubes has opened new possibilities to face challenges better. Carbon Nanotubes are known for their high mechanical strength, excellent thermal and electrical properties. Recent research has made progress in fabricating carbon nanotube metal matrix and polymer-based composites. The methods of fabrication of these composites, their properties and possible applications restricted to the field of electronic packaging have been discussed in this paper. Experimental and theoretical calculations have shown improved mechanical and physical properties like tensile stress, toughness, and improved electrical and thermal properties. They have also demonstrated the ease of production of the composites and their adaptability as one can tailor their properties as per the requirement. This paper reviews work reported on fabricating and characterizing carbon- nanotube-based metal matrix and polymer composites. The focus of this paper is mainly to review the importance of these composites in the field of electronics packaging. 1. Introduction Metal matrix composites of various combinations of metals have been used in engineering for various applications. Aerospace [1], automobile [2], and electronics applications [3] have seen the maximum usage of these composites mainly because of the light weight to mass ratio, stiffness, and ductility provided by the reinforcement [4]. Qualities like low coefficient of thermal expansion, high thermal conductivity, enhancement of electrical conductivity, and adjustable mechanical properties have made such composites very popular. Carbon-based research has gained boost with the introduction of carbon fibres in carbon-based composites. High strength and light weight made these composites a good choice for aerospace structures, rocket nozzle exit cones, re-entry heat shields, sporting goods, and structural reinforcement [5]. Over the past decades, there have been endless efforts to find suitable application for CNTs. Their extraordinary electrical, mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical properties [6] seem to have several possible applications: field emission devices [7], electronic circuits, devices, and interconnects [8], super capacitors and batteries [9], separation membranes [10], nanoscale sensors [11], drug delivery systems [12], and composite materials—both polymeric and metal matrix filled [13, 14]. However, the biggest