Soft Thermal Pad

Types of Soft Thermal Pads

Silicone-Based Soft Thermal Pads

Softness: GALLOP INNOTEK soft thermal pads are soft and compressible. With a thermal conductivity of 1.5 W/mk, the effect is very good. The thermal pad maintains good heat conduction and is easy to carry, meeting the needs of your electronic devices. The soft silicone pads have good compression set to protect during transportation, accompanied by excellent softness, thermal conductivity, and insulation, which have a very good effect on heat dissipation, making them perfect for filling the contact surface gap. The pad remains attached to the heat sink to increase ease of use.

Thermal Conductivity: The thermal conductivity of GALLOP INNOTEK soft thermal pads is generally higher than 1.0 W/m·K (such as GALLOP INNOTEK GTP015 silicone thermal pad, the thermal conductivity is 1.5 W/m·K), which can easily attain the heat conduction requirement of electronic products.

Wide Temperature Range: With a temperature range of 60-200 ℃, GALLOP INNOTEK GTP015 is similar to our other silicone-based soft thermal pads and can work across a larger temperature range compared to typical gap fillers or grease alternatives. This material excels at filling the irregular gaps of your devices at a very low compression force, making it cost-effective.

Easy to Use: Soft Thermal Pads are simpler to apply than thermal paste, as they simply require tearing down the film and then attaching them; even amateurs can operate them easily.

Applications

Silicone-based soft thermal pads, also known as thermal pads, are a type of thermal insulation material that exhibits excellent thermal conductivity. They are applied in most of your electronic devices, including CPUs, GPUs, LED modules, and power components. The specific applicable scenarios are as follows:

CPUs, GPUs, and chipsets found in PCs, servers

Power modules, IGBTs, and MOSFETs

LED lighting modules

Telecom and automotive electronics

Graphite/Graphene-Composite Soft Thermal Pads

Key Features

Lightweight and Flexible: GALLOP INNOTEK Graphite/Graphene-Composite Soft Thermal Pads can be as thin as a single molecule in a planar arrangement, making them suitable for thin and compact devices.

Conductivity(optional): The insulation properties of GALLOP INNOTEK Graphite/Graphene-Composite Soft Thermal Pads can be tailored to be either electrically insulating or conductive, depending on the filler.

High Thermal Conductivity: Compared to silicone thermal pads, GALLOP INNOTEK Graphite/Graphene-Composite Soft Thermal Pads offer superior planar heat transfer performance. Therefore, for devices requiring high thermal conductivity, GALLOP INNOTEK Graphite/Graphene-Composite Soft Thermal Pads are clearly the right choice.

Durability: GALLOP INNOTEK Graphite/Graphene-Composite Soft Thermal Pads maintain stable performance under continuous thermal cycling; soft thermal pads can conform to uneven surfaces, reducing thermal resistance.

Applications

GALLOP INNOTEK graphite/graphene composite soft thermal pads are often used in electronic products that require high heat dissipation, such as mobile devices, tablet computers, and thin, lightweight consumer electronics, due to their high thermal conductivity. Specific features are as follows:

Smartphones, tablets, and ultra-slim laptops

High-density electronic modules

Consumer electronics requiring both performance and thin profiles

LED lighting systems and compact power devices

Non-Silicone Soft Thermal Pads

GALLOP INNOTEK non-silicone soft thermal pads are specially designed thermal interface materials that do not use silicone. They are typically composed of a polyurethane, acrylic, or other polymer base blended with ceramic or carbon-based fillers. GALLOP INNOTEK thermal pads are specifically designed to meet the needs of environments where silicone materials may pose a problem, thereby eliminating the issue of unstable thermal pad material precipitation during device use.

Key Features

Silicone-Free: GALLOP INNOTEK non-silicone soft thermal pads eliminate the risk of silicone oil migration or outgassing, effectively avoiding the contamination that can occur with silicone-based thermal pads.

Stable Performance: GALLOP INNOTEK non-silicone soft thermal pads maintain reliable performance even under long-term thermal cycling without the degradation associated with silicone.

Excellent Softness and Conformability: GALLOP INNOTEK non-silicone soft thermal pads are compressible enough to fill gaps between components and heat sinks. Medium thermal conductivity: typically in the range of 1.0–6.0 W/m·K.

Material compatibility: suitable for a wide range of applications, from sensitive optical instruments to displays or sensors.

Applications

GALLOP INNOTEK non-silicone soft thermal pads are compact and environmentally friendly, making them suitable for a variety of applications with specific material requirements. They offer moderate thermal conductivity and meet compressibility requirements. They are primarily used in the following applications:

Optical devices (cameras, lenses, sensors), where silicone outgassing can cause lens fogging.

Display panels (OLED, LCD), where silicone contamination must be avoided.

Medical electronics, which require stringent material safety standards.

Industrial and telecommunications equipment in silicone-sensitive environments.

Ceramic-Filled Polymer Soft Thermal Pads

GALLOP INNOTEK ceramic-filled polymer thermal pads are soft thermal interface materials. As you may know, they often utilize a silicone or non-silicone polymer with a high-performance ceramic filler. The key to GALLOP INNOTEK ceramic-filled polymer thermal pads is the ability to achieve both high thermal conductivity and mechanical softness, as well as electrical insulation.

Key Features

Enhanced Thermal Conductivity: GALLOP INNOTEK ceramic-filled polymer thermal pads typically have a thermal conductivity range of 2.0-20.0 W/m·K, exceeding that of standard pure silicone thermal pads.

Electrical Insulation: Due to the insulating properties of ceramic fillers, the addition of ceramic fillers ensures reliable dielectric strength in GALLOP INNOTEK ceramic-filled polymer thermal pads, preventing unconventional electrical conductivity.

Mechanical Flexibility: While slightly stiffer than ultra-soft silicone thermal pads, GALLOP INNOTEK ceramic-filled polymers are still flexible enough to fill gaps in your device.

Stable Performance: Resistant to thermal cycling, aging, and mechanical stress.

Wide Compatibility: Suitable for both silicone and non-silicone polymer systems.

Applications

Power electronics (IGBTs, MOSFETs, rectifiers)

Automotive control modules (ECUs, inverters, chargers)

Telecom and networking equipment

LED lighting systems

Industrial equipment requiring high thermal efficiency and insulation reliability

How to Correctly Choose the Thickness of a Soft Thermal Pad?

When selecting and using soft thermal pads, thicker isn’t always better. Even soft thermal pads have a limited range of elasticity. Choosing the right thickness can help avoid waste and inappropriate resource usage, thereby reducing material costs. Also, a properly sized thermal pad can help you better fit the thermal space, maximizing heat transfer.

Consider Thermal Resistance

The thermal resistance of a thermal pad is directly proportional to its thickness. Generally speaking, GALLOP INNOTEK soft thermal pads exhibit a certain degree of elasticity even with thin gaps. If your device doesn’t require high thickness accuracy, you can choose a thinner GALLOP INNOTEK soft thermal pad to reduce thermal resistance.

Application Scenarios

Different applications have different requirements for thermal pad thickness. For example, laptops, which have limited space, require a thin, lightweight soft thermal pad. Larger applications, however, require a thicker thermal pad.

Device Structure

Additionally, the thickness selection also depends on the device and heat dissipation requirements. If the gap between devices is small, a thinner thermal pad should be selected to ensure a good fit. For example, in electronic devices, to meet the heat dissipation requirements, a 2.0W/m·k thermal pad can be 0.3-10mm thick, such as the GALLOP INNOTEK GTP020, while a 6.0W/m·k thermal pad can be 0.5-10mm thick, such as the GALLOP INNOTEK GTP060.

Experienced Data Reference

If choosing a soft thermal pad is challenging in your application, you can refer to empirical data from similar devices or literature, and if necessary, verify the appropriate thickness through testing. GALLOP INNOTEK offers a wide range of thermal pads in various thicknesses, with varying thermal conductivity and resistance, to perfectly match your individual soft thermal pad requirements.