I-Corps: Metallic Glue in Ambient

Northeastern University, Boston MA

Investigators

Abstract

This I-Corps team has determined that it is feasible to attach metals together as well as plastics and glass and any one to any other type. Being able to attach things together with metal at low temperature allows for safe attachment of components that cannot survive high temperatures, such as delicate electronic components or plastic. The technology this I-Corps team intends to commercialize is a metal bond ("glue"), or weld, between two surfaces, that can be produced at room temperature, in air, and under low pressure. The proposed product can be used in computers to make them run faster and last longer or to attach components to circuit boards without soldering. Additionally, no welding skill is needed, so the average person can make metal repairs at home, safely. This team's goal is to produce a product that changes the landscape of how certain things are attached together. The team envisions a bonding solution that will replace solder, by being safer for components and simpler, and thermal interface materials, such as those used to thermally connect CPUs to heat sinks in computers, by eliminating many of the problems like drying out, pumping out, and low thermal conductivity. While metal glue will apply to many diverse applications, the team plans to single out these one or two fields where the proposed technology will be most easily adopted, and target companies who would be interested in using this product to produce goods with superior qualities. The proposed metal glue would give the significant market share advantage of CPUs that last significantly longer or are able to operate faster without any change to the silicon processing itself. This team's contribution to the marketplace will help computing overcome the current bottleneck of heat dissipation for high power components.