Researchers have discovered a metallic material with the highest thermal conductivity measured among metals. This challenges long-standing assumptions about the limits of heat transport in metallic materials.
The research team from UCLA Samueli School of Engineering reported that metallic theta-phase tantalum nitride conducts heat nearly three times more efficiently than copper or silver, the best conventional heat-conducting metals.
“As AI technologies advance rapidly, heat-dissipation demands are pushing conventional metals like copper to their performance limits, and the heavy global reliance on copper in chips and AI accelerators is becoming a critical concern,” said Hu, who is also a member of the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA.
“Our research shows that theta-phase tantalum nitride could be a fundamentally new and superior alternative for achieving higher thermal conductivity and may help guide the design of next-generation thermal materials.”
To read more, click here.