Nanomaterials in Semiconductor Packaging & Thermal Stability

Supplying the Semiconductor Industry 

Artificial Intelligence, Electrification and Connectivity dominate the modern landscape of connectivity. However, the demands for higher performance electronics and computing power to achieve these far outpace the current supply of high-quality nanomaterials. Geopolitical shifts also introduce high uncertainty in modern supply chains – such that distributors, formulators and device manufacturers can no longer solely rely on out-sourced production. 

“With increasing regulations, it is now a necessity to develop more resilient, internal supply chains for advanced materials in the semiconductor industry.” 

Why Semiconductor Packaging Matters 

To achieve next generation computing power and densities, the semiconductor industry has turned to heterogeneous integration and 3D architectures. However, these architectures generate tremendous heat, endangering the reliability, longevity and cost of these devices. 

“Today, semiconductor packaging is the limiting factor for Moore’s Law.” 

Effective thermal management is no longer just about performance: it’s critical for reliability, longevity, and cost. Without robust thermal solutions, hotspots, thermal cycling stress, and interconnect degradation can severely limit device lifetime. 

Nanomaterials provide a powerful way to address these challenges. 

• Manufacturability
  • Because chip pitches are shrinking to sub-10 micrometers, nanoparticles with small form factors are necessary to fill microscopic gaps, voids and cracks. 
• Thermal Conductivity
  • Because the polymer resins typically used in packaging exhibit poor thermal conductivity, anisotropic nanoparticles act as “thermal highways”, to transport heat more efficiently. 
• Mechanical Strength
  • Modern microchips are under constant stress from thermal cycling – rigid nanoparticles reinforce packaging materials, preventing cracks from forming and spreading in the thinnest geometries. 

• Electrical Performance
  • As transistors and interconnects shrink, it is critical to retain high quality electrical connections – electrically conductive nanoparticles provide high surface-area-to-volume ratios, which allow for excellent conductivity at much lower curing temperatures. 

Applications in Semiconductor Packaging 

1. Die Attach Materials– High Quality Electrical Conductivity with Low Temperature Sintering 

One of the critical junctures in chip packaging is the die-attach layer, the material that bonds the semiconductor die to its substrate. Nanocomposite solders, particularly those using silver nanoparticles, deliver much higher thermal conductivity than traditional solders, while also offering enhanced mechanical strength and resistance to thermal degradation.  

These nanoscale particles can sinter at relatively low temperatures (200–300 °C), forming dense, thermally conductive joints without compromising manufacturing compatibility.  

With AM’s annular microreactor technology, users internally develop and scale-up conductive nanoparticle synthesis for custom formulations for solder. See our recent webinar on silver nanoparticle synthesis to learn more. 

2. Thermal Interface Materials (TIMs)-High Thermal Conductivity with Low Electrical Conductivity 

Between the chip and its heat sink lies the thermal interface, a bottleneck for heat flow. By embedding nanomaterials like metal oxide or nitrides, you can dramatically reduce interfacial thermal resistance while retaining electrical insulation. These fillers create efficient phonon transport pathways, enabling more uniform and rapid heat spreading while maintaining electrical insulation.  

With AM’s annular microreactor technology, users internally develop and scale-up ceramic nanoparticle synthesis for custom formulations. See our recent article on ZnO nanoparticle synthesis to learn more. 

Why Accelerated Materials Is the Right Partner 

At Accelerated Materials, we enable semiconductor, packaging, and materials teams to develop, optimise, and scale their own advanced nanomaterials in-house through our integrated Solutions. 

We provide: 

High-Performance Synthesis Reactors 

Our flow-based reactor architectures allow precise control over temperature, mixing, residence time, and particle formation, essential for reproducible nanomaterial synthesis. Our platform bridges laboratory R&D to pilot-scale production. Partners can work with our technical centres to: 

• Prototype nanomaterials at gram scale
• Optimise performance and stability 
• Scale to kilograms using the same process logic 
• Transfer validated recipes to their internal manufacturing lines or external foundries 

AI-Driven Process Automation 

Am Learn enables autonomous optimisation of synthesis conditions, helping teams rapidly discover and refine formulations for any application. Partners can integrate AI into their workflows for: 

• Reduction of experimental time and cost 
• Automated predictive analytics 
• Process optimisation 
• Formulation optimisation 

Product and Process Intellectual Property 

When a partner goes to scale, we provide guidance and tools to help your engineers understand: 

• Particle formation mechanisms 
• Thermal and mechanical behaviour 
• Process parameters affecting stability and performance 

Benefits for Semiconductor Packaging Teams 

With Accelerated Materials, your organisation can: 

• Develop high-performance packaging materials in-house 
• No reliance on external suppliers for proprietary additives and formulations
• Reduce time-to-innovation 
• AI-powered optimisation accelerates discovery and stabilisation of new material formulations
• Achieve reliable scale-up 
• Flow reactors provide reproducibility and process transferability
• Improve package performance 
• Better heat spreading, reduced thermal cycling stress, and improved device lifetime
• Lower long-term costs 
• Control your own materials IP and avoid expensive specialty-material procurement