Global Materials Technologies for Thermal Management in 5G Devices Growth Opportunities
This study focuses on the emerging developments and advances in materials technology to improve and mitigate thermal management issues in 5G devices, highlights the need for thermal management solutions such as thermal interface materials (TIMs) in 5G devices, and discusses the major development and adoption challenges that TIMs face in their commercialization. All 5G devices comprise radio units, active antennas, and other components with greater density in smaller spaces. This arrangement of high-power components necessitates greater energy consumption, generating more heat. The increased heat can cause components to burn out, significantly impacting the whole network. Also, the overheating of these devices can result in performance drops or device failure, causing network issues, outages, and downtime. As this issue can significantly affect users’ personal and professional lives, ensuring efficient heat dissipation in 5G devices is important.
Material technologies with superior capabilities for 5G devices’ thermal management come with significant tradeoffs. For instance, acrylics that form stronger bonds soften at high temperatures. This scenario creates the demand for new material technologies in thermal management that can offer attractive properties and undergo manufacturing at high volumes.
TIMs can improve heat transfer and dissipate heat out of electronic devices. TIMs generally stay between heat-generating components and heat sinks or dissipating devices.
The different forms of TIMs this research covers include:
• Thermally conductive adhesives
• Phase change materials (PCMs)
• Thermal gap fillers
• Thermal tapes
• Thermal grease
• Others (thermal interface coatings, thermally conductive hardware (TCH), and graphite pads)
Main topics covered:
• Current scenario in 5G infrastructure— commercial availability, trends across regions
• Important factors driving the adoption of TIMs
• Technology analysis and need for thermal management
• Stakeholder activities in materials for thermal management of 5G devices
• Patent analysis of materials for thermal management of 5G devices
• Growth opportunities for materials in thermal management of 5G devices
Key focus areas include:
• The need for effective thermal management in 5G devices
• Overview of factors driving the demand for TIMs
• Technology analysis of top materials in the fabrication of TIMs
• Comparative assessment of different types of materials in TIMs across various parameters, such as thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and thermal expansion coefficient
• Different types of TIMs, their TRL, benefits, drawbacks, and leading stakeholders
• Patent analysis of different types of TIMs
• Growth opportunities for material developers in thermal management systems
- Strategic Imperatives
- Why Is It Increasingly Difficult to Grow?
- The Strategic Imperative 8
- The Impact of the Top 3 Strategic Imperatives on Materials Technologies for Thermal Management in 5G Devices
- Growth Opportunities Fuel the Growth Pipeline Engine
- Research Methodology
- Research Scope and Segmentation
- Research Context and Key Questions the Research Answers
- Scope of Research
- Key Findings
- Growth Opportunity Analysis
- Factors Causing the Paradigm Shift in Mobile Communications-4G to 5G
- Availability of 5G Globally
- Current State of 5G Devices Globally
- Efforts to Increase the Development of 5G Applications
- Top Vendors from China Dominating the 5G Devices Ecosystem
- Mapping of Operator Investments in 5G Networks
- Stakeholders Driving 5G Adoption Across Industries
- Product Development, Launch, and Acquisition Vital for Facilitating Development in 5G Devices
- Global Funding and Investment Activities in Thermal Management Solutions on the Rise
- Need for Effective Thermal Management for 5G Devices
- TIMs Able to Resolve Engineering Challenges in 5G Devices
- Technologies for Effective Thermal Management
- Importance of TIMs
- Polymers as the Most Common Base Matrix/Material in TIMs
- Nanomaterials' High Thermal Conductivity Gaining Traction in TIMs
- High Mechanical Strength, Operating Temperature, and Low Thermal Expansion Driving Demand for Ceramic-based TIMs
- Low Cost, Easy Availability, and High Thermal Conductivity of Metals Positively Influencing Its Adoption Rate in TIMs
- Composites to Deliver Greater Thermal Efficiency Than Conventional Silicon-based Materials
- Silicone Is the Most Widely Used Polymer Due to High Thermal Conductivity
- High Thermal Conductivity of Nanomaterials and Metals Is a Key Parameter for Adoption in TIMs
- Electrical Resistivity of Ceramics Is Key Parameter for Adoption in TIMs
- Comparative Assessment of Various Material Classes in TIMs
- Thermally Conductive Adhesives Ideal Alternative to Soldering Applications
- High Flowability Supporting Demand for Thermal Greases
- PCMs to Offer Better Functionalities than Thermal Grease
- Thermal Gap Filler Pads Cleaner to Use Than Thermal Pastes and Easier to Remove Than Thermal Adhesives
- Easy Handling and Low Cost Driving Demand for Thermal Tapes
- Others: Thermal Interface Coatings, Hardware, and Pads
- Comparative Assessment of Various Forms of TIMs
- Mapping of Different Material Classes to Recommended Form and Devices
- Application Outlook of Different Forms of TIMs across Various Industries
- IP Analysis for Thermal Management of 5G Devices
- United States Leading in Patent Filing for Thermal Management Technologies (2017-2021)
- Stagnant Growth for PCMs and Downward Trend for Thermal Tapes During 2017-2021
- End-use Industries Driving Increasing Research Activities in the Gap Fillers and Thermal Grease Fields
- Increasing Focus on Sustainability Vital across Patent Filing in Thermally Conductive Adhesives
- Thermal Grease as the Most Researched Form and Polymer as the Most Researched Material During 2017-2021
- Growth Opportunity Universe
- Growth Opportunity 1: Adoption of Ceramics Material Technologies for Better Thermal Management
- Growth Opportunity 2: Strategic Collaborations across Different Stakeholders in Value Chain for Technology Advancement
- Growth Opportunity 3: Using Material Informatics to Accelerate the Search for Novel Materials for Thermal Management
- Appendix
- Technology Readiness Levels (TRL): Explanation
- Next Steps
- Your Next Steps
- Why Frost, Why Now?
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