COMMON MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN USING THERMAL CONDUCTIVE PASTE

There’s a bit of a trick for everything, even with PCB assembly processes that follow an otherwise straightforward and to-the-point approach. This blog post has been designed with a similar standpoint – a glance into the common mistakes that should be avoided when using thermal conductive paste. With factors listed here, you can prevent various process issues and make your overall operations much more productive.

Mistake# Ignoring electrical conductivity

While thermal conductive paste is available in various varieties like diamond based, silicon based, carbon based and ceramic based compounds, metal based paste is widely considered to be the most suitable, owing to its excellent thermal conductivity parameters and affordable price. However, metal based compounds also have an inherent capability of carrying a charge which can end up damaging your PCB components if left unaccounted for. So, if you are using a metal based thermal conductive paste, make sure you do not apply it in too copious quantities.

Mistake# Not cleaning the surfaces before application

The reason of applying thermal conductive paste is to remove irregularities and lessen the distance between the circuit board and the heat-sink, to ensure a better, cleaner and a more constant connection between the two. Therefore, while applying the paste, you should make sure that both surfaces are completely free of contaminants, dust, dirt, grime or any other form of residue. The most common method used to clean surfaces is rubbing alcohol which can carefully remove all impurities without causing any damage to the board and its components.

Mistake# Applying too much or too little paste

Too much thermal conductive paste can detract from its effectiveness and performance as a thick layer will increase the distance between the circuit board and the heat-sink, thereby hindering the heat transference process. Too little paste will also not fulfill the purpose as air pockets and gaps will remain behind. The idea is to apply an even, optimal layer of paste, covering as much surface area of the board as possible.

Use the above information to tweak your method of thermal conductive paste application and get the most from your device performance.