Editing Thermal paste (section)

{{Short description|Fluid used to maximize thermal contact}}
[[File:Thermal greases.JPG|thumb|Several containers of thermal paste of different brands. From left to right: [[Arctic Cooling]] MX-2 and MX-3, Tuniq TX-3, Cool Laboratory Liquid Metal Pro, Shin-Etsu MicroSi G751, [[Arctic Silver#Arctic Silver 5 (AS5)|Arctic Silver 5]], Powdered Diamond. In background: [[Arctic Silver#ArctiClean|Arctic Silver thermal paste remover]].]]
[[File:Wärmeleitpaste Thermal Compound.jpg|thumb|Silicone thermal compound]]
[[File:Thermal grease.jpg|thumb|Metal (silver) thermal compound]]
[[File:Thermalgrease.jpg|thumb|Metal thermal paste applied to a chip]]
[[File:Cpuimperfections.jpg|thumb|Thermal paste is designed to fill imperfections on the surface of a chip.]]

'''Thermal paste''' (also called '''thermal compound''', '''thermal grease''', '''thermal interface material''' ('''TIM'''), '''thermal gel''', '''heat paste''', '''heat sink compound''', '''heat sink paste''' or '''CPU grease''') is a [[Thermal conductivity|thermally conductive]] (but usually not [[Insulator (electricity)|electrically conductive]]) [[chemical compound]], which is commonly used as an interface between [[heat sink]]s and [[Heat generation in integrated circuits|heat source]]s such as high-power [[semiconductor]] devices. The main role of thermal paste is to eliminate air gaps or spaces (which act as [[thermal insulation]]) from the interface area in order to maximize [[heat transfer]] and dissipation. Thermal paste is an example of a [[thermal interface material]].

As opposed to [[thermal adhesive]], thermal paste does not add mechanical strength to the bond between heat source and heat sink. It has to be coupled with a fastener such as screws to hold the heat sink in place and to apply pressure, spreading and thinning the thermal paste.