Thermal Bridge Technology

Introducing TE Connectivity’s Thermal Bridge Technology

A New Approach, A New Level of I/O Application Benefits

Today’s data communication applications have increasingly demanding system power requirements — which often require better ways to dissipate heat. Traditional thermal management approaches such as riding heatsinks don’t always provide the optimum solution for applications with restricted airflow, liquid cooling or cold-plates. But what if there was a new way to approach this problem?

We have the solution —TE’s new thermal bridge technology for input/output applications. It was developed in direct response to market needs for a better performing thermal solution and provides up to 2X better thermal resistance over traditional thermal technologies.

Aimed at data communications and wireless markets, and supporting applications such as high-performance computing, ethernet switches, 5G/wireless, servers and ethernet SP routing, our new technology offers three key benefits:

1. Superior thermal resistance
2. Better reliability and durability
3. Improved application serviceability

As a mechanical alternative to traditional gap pad or thermal interface materials, the thermal bridge sits on top of the cage – sandwiched between the cage and heatsink. The innovative design is not a traditional heatsink.

Whereas many riding heatsink solutions rely on airflow for heat dissipation, the thermal bridge is best suited for applications with limited or no airflow.

An interleaved series of plates allows heat to pass from the I/O module to the cooling area, while providing the necessary normal force, which is built into the thermal bridge.

Integrated mechanical springs provide interface force and 1.0 mm of compression travel, simplifying the mechanical design and reducing the need for external compression hardware.

The elastic compression design makes the thermal bridge resistant to set or relaxation over time. This helps provide consistent and longer-lasting performance and helps to reduce component replacement during servicing.

TE’s thermal bridge technology — yet another next-gen innovation from TE to address customer needs.