US Patent 8133585 - Reducing contact resistance of CNT material

http://www.freepatentsonline.com/8133585.html

Intel has been working on developing new forms of heat sink materials for microcircuit packaging using carbon nanotubes. This most recent patent teaches a thermally conductive nanotube material with improved adhesion and reduced contact resistance. Claim 1 reads:

1. A thermally and electrically conductive structure comprising:

a carbon nanotube having an outer surface;

a carbon coating covering at least a portion of the outer surface of the carbon nanotube;

a transition layer exterior to the carbon coating; and

a metal layer exterior to the transition layer.