A thermal management system is described. The thermal management system being well suited for electronic devices having limited size and operational components that produce excess heat. The thermal management system includes a thermal transport mechanism formed of material having anisotropic thermal conducting properties such that heat is transported from a heat source to a heat sink using a directed heat path. The directed heat path provided by regions having a first thermal conductivity embedded within a substrate characterized as having a second thermal conductivity that is less than the first thermal conductivity.