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Used in a wide range of electronic devices, heat sinks absorb heat from attached components, allowing them to function at higher temperatures without overheating. Heat sinks are extremely helpful in processor and semiconductor applications, as they provide added heat dissipation, therefore enabling the devices to perform at faster speeds. They are also required for transistors that have high levels of current passing through them.

Typically, heat sinks used in electronics applications have a solid flat surface that is in direct contact with the part being cooled. Occasionally, thermal grease or another heat conducting paste will be applied to the two surfaces to enhance heat conduction. Opposite the point of contact are a line of thin, separate panels, which provide a large amount of surface area for stored heat to dissipate into the air. The entire unit is generally made from a thermally conductive material, often aluminum, since it is both inexpensive and effective. Active heat sinks also involve an attached fan, which helps the heat dissipate at an even faster rate, although many components simply use a passive heat sink.

Heat sinks are fabricated through a variety of manufacturing techniques, including stamping, extrusion and casting. In some cases, the heat dissipation panels, or fins, are bonded to the heat sink base, allowing for taller fins. Generally, additional machining processes are performed on the heat sink to provide better performance, although this is not always the case. For heat sinks for certain high-precision applications, various CNC machining techniques may also be employed.

Manufacturers rate heat sinks by thermal resistance, with lower ratings corresponding to more effective units. Heat sink capability has become a major factor in computer processing speeds, since modern processors quickly generate large amounts of heat that need to be dissipated, and often it is the efficiency of the heat sink that determines the maximum speeds of the processor.