Effect of interfacial layer incorporation in electroplated copper–graphene composites on thermal conductivity

In this study, we successfully fabricated graphene/metal composites with high isotropic thermal conductivities . To address the thermal anisotropy resulting from the mismatch between the in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities of multilayer graphene, we synthesized graphene foam (GF) with a three-dimensional structure. A homogeneous Cu layer was deposited by electroplating on the GF surface, filling the pores. Following the removal of pores in the composites through a spark plasma sintering process, the thermal conductivity of Cu–GF containing only 0.15 vol% of graphene was found to be significantly enhanced, with an increase of ∼ 9 % compared to that of electroplated Cu. The incorporation of a thin Ti layer into the composites resulted in a higher Cu plating rate and achieved a ratio of 1.01 between the in-plane and through-plane thermal conductivities . These results are expected to be effectively applied in the advanced electronics industry, in which a high heat dissipation capacity is a crucial requirement. • 3D graphene with high heat transfer is used as network filler in metal composites. • Electroplated copper can fill pores and maintain the structure of graphene foam. • The metal interlayer enhances the graphene/copper adhesion and the deposition rate. • The interlayer can improve the isotropic thermal conductivity of the composites.