Effects of Ti addition on thermal properties of diamond/Ag–Ti composites fabricated by liquid sintering

Abstract Diamond/Ag–Ti composites were fabricated by a low-cost vacuum liquid sintering technique and the effects of Ti addition on the thermal properties of the composites were studied. The results indicate that the optimal quantity of added Ti is 3 at%. Adding less than 3 at% Ti resulted in poor wettability, while adding more than 3 at% Ti resulted in excessive formation of TiC. Both reduced thermal conductivity. A composite comprising 60 vol% diamond/Ag–3at%Ti resulted in a maximum thermal conductivity of 836 W m −1  K −1 with a coefficient of thermal expansion of 5.6×10 −6  K −1 . These composites are excellent candidates for the thermal management of integrated electronic devices.