To address technical problems facing silicon transient thermal management, a thermal interface material (TIM) may be used to provide improved thermal conduction. The TIM may include a liquid metal (LM) TIM, which may provide a significant reduction in thermal resistance, such as a thermal resistance RTIM≈0.01-0.025° C.-cm2/W. The LM TIM may be applied using a presoaked applicator, such as an open-cell polyurethane foam applicator that has been presoaked in a controlled amount of LM TIM. This LM presoaked applicator is then used to apply the LM TIM to one or more target thermal surfaces, thereby providing thermal and mechanical coupling between the LM TIM and the thermal surface. The resulting thermal surface and thermally conductive LM TIM may be used to improve thermal conduction for various silicon-based devices, including various high-power, high-performance system-on-chip (SoC) packages, such as may be used in portable consumer products.