Size dictated thermal conductivity of GaN
Abstract
We investigated the thermal conductivity of n- and p-type doped gallium nitride (GaN) epilayers having thicknesses of 3–4 μm using time domain thermoreflectance. Despite possessing carrier concentrations ranging across 3 decades (1015–1018 cm–3), n-type layers exhibit a nearly constant thermal conductivity of 180 W/mK. In contrast, the thermal conductivity of p-type epilayers reduces from 160 to 110 W/mK with increased doping. These trends we observe—and their overall reduction relative to bulk—are explained leveraging established scattering models where it is shown that, while the decrease in p-type layers is partly due to the increased impurity levels evolving from its doping, size effects play a primary role in limiting the thermal conductivity of GaN layers tens of microns thick. Device layers, even of pristine quality, will therefore exhibit thermal conductivities less than the bulk value of 240 W/mK owing to their finite thickness.
- Authors:
-
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
- North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC (United States)
- Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)
- Publication Date:
- Research Org.:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States); Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Org.:
- USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA); National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI Identifier:
- 1269902
- Alternate Identifier(s):
- OSTI ID: 1315839; OSTI ID: 1340179
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-2016-3450J; SAND2016-2716J
Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979; 638268
- Grant/Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- Resource Type:
- Accepted Manuscript
- Journal Name:
- Journal of Applied Physics
- Additional Journal Information:
- Journal Volume: 120; Journal Issue: 9; Journal ID: ISSN 0021-8979
- Publisher:
- American Institute of Physics (AIP)
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
- Subject:
- 75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
Citation Formats
Thomas Edwin Beechem, McDonald, Anthony E., Fuller, Elliot James, Talin, Albert Alec, Rost, Christina M., Maria, Jon -Paul, Gaskins, John T., Hopkins, Patrick E., and Allerman, Andrew A. Size dictated thermal conductivity of GaN. United States: N. p., 2016.
Web. doi:10.1063/1.4962010.
Thomas Edwin Beechem, McDonald, Anthony E., Fuller, Elliot James, Talin, Albert Alec, Rost, Christina M., Maria, Jon -Paul, Gaskins, John T., Hopkins, Patrick E., & Allerman, Andrew A. Size dictated thermal conductivity of GaN. United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4962010
Thomas Edwin Beechem, McDonald, Anthony E., Fuller, Elliot James, Talin, Albert Alec, Rost, Christina M., Maria, Jon -Paul, Gaskins, John T., Hopkins, Patrick E., and Allerman, Andrew A. Fri .
"Size dictated thermal conductivity of GaN". United States. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4962010. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1269902.
@article{osti_1269902,
title = {Size dictated thermal conductivity of GaN},
author = {Thomas Edwin Beechem and McDonald, Anthony E. and Fuller, Elliot James and Talin, Albert Alec and Rost, Christina M. and Maria, Jon -Paul and Gaskins, John T. and Hopkins, Patrick E. and Allerman, Andrew A.},
abstractNote = {We investigated the thermal conductivity of n- and p-type doped gallium nitride (GaN) epilayers having thicknesses of 3–4 μm using time domain thermoreflectance. Despite possessing carrier concentrations ranging across 3 decades (1015–1018 cm–3), n-type layers exhibit a nearly constant thermal conductivity of 180 W/mK. In contrast, the thermal conductivity of p-type epilayers reduces from 160 to 110 W/mK with increased doping. These trends we observe—and their overall reduction relative to bulk—are explained leveraging established scattering models where it is shown that, while the decrease in p-type layers is partly due to the increased impurity levels evolving from its doping, size effects play a primary role in limiting the thermal conductivity of GaN layers tens of microns thick. Device layers, even of pristine quality, will therefore exhibit thermal conductivities less than the bulk value of 240 W/mK owing to their finite thickness.},
doi = {10.1063/1.4962010},
journal = {Journal of Applied Physics},
number = 9,
volume = 120,
place = {United States},
year = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016},
month = {Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016}
}
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