Skived copper heat sinks offer the maximum heat dissipation in applications that have high airflow and small space. The thermal conductivity of copper (~400 W/m-K) is the highest among all the commercial metals, and the skiving technology allows the heat sinks to have very thin fins, high aspect ratio and high fin density. Because the fins are an integral part of the base, skived copper heat sinks provide the best possible thermal conductivity between the fins and the base. When optimized to specific applications, skived copper heat sinks offer outstanding performance over any other thermal solutions within the small space. In some applications, the skiving technology is also the most cost-effective and reliable method of producing heat sinks that meet high thermal demands.

The Skiving Process

Skived heat sinks are manufactured by peeling fins from a bar of solid copper or aluminum, using a sharp and accurately controlled blade tool. The tool shaves a small thickness of the material, lifts it up and bends it vertically to form the fin. The final heat sink can be machined using normal fabrication techniques, such as CNC machining. Skived heat sinks require minimal tooling cost, which makes it a cost effective solution. Skived heat sinks can also be customized with embedded heat pipes to further improve performance.

Features and Benefits

• Very thin fins and very high fin density
• Maximum heat dissipation under forced convection (with high airflow)
• No interface joint (or thermal resistance) between the fins and base
• Very high aspect ratio (up to 50)
• Minimal tooling cost
• Short lead time
• Can have embedded heat pipes to further boost performance
• Anti-oxidation surface treatment helps extend serving time

Applications of Skived Heat Sinks

Skived copper heat sinks deliver maximum heat dissipation in applications with limited space and high levels of ventilation. They are a cost effective solution when considering the low tooling cost and the optimized fin surface area.

Skived fin heat sinks are commonly found in the following applications:

• Computers and electronic components
• Telecommunication equipment
• Industrial equipment and components
• Lighting lamps and household appliances industry
• Automotive components

Design Guidelines

The following parameters are the limitation and/or recommended values for skived heat sinks with high quality and low cost.

• Material: Copper (C11000) or Aluminum (6063/1060)
• Maximum width: unlimited
• Maximum fin length: 500 mm (20″)
• Maximum fin height: 100 mm (4”)
• Recommended fin height: <50 mm (2”)
• Recommended thickness for aluminum fins: 0.2-1.2 mm (0.008-0.047”)
• Recommended thickness for copper fins: 0.1-0.6 mm (0.004-0.024”)
• Minimum fin spacing (gap): 0.1 mm (0.004”)
• Maximum fin spacing (gap): 8.0 mm (0.31”)

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