US Patent 7180174 - Nanotube modified solder

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/7180174.pdf

Heat sinks and circuit elements are commonly connected to circuit boards through solder. In order to improve heat transfer this patent from Intel proposes the use of nanotubes within the solder material. Claim 1 reads:

1. Apparatus, comprising: a die; a heat spreader; and a thermal intermediate material comprised of a plurality of carbon nanotubes blended with solder, the thermal intermediate material interposed in a gap between the die and the heat spreader, wherein some of the carbon nanotubes of the plurality of carbon nanotubes are chemically bonded to the solder.