Size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films

Braun, Jeffrey L.; Baker, Christopher H.; Elahi, Miraz; Artyushkova, Kateryna; Norris, Pamela M.; Leseman, Zayd Chad; Gaskins, John T.; Hopkins, Patrick E.; Giri, Ashutosh

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.93.140201

Size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films

Journal Article · Fri Apr 01 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Physical Review B

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.93.140201· OSTI ID:1251626

Braun, Jeffrey L. ^[1]; Baker, Christopher H. ^[1]; Elahi, Miraz ^[2]; Artyushkova, Kateryna ^[2]; Norris, Pamela M. ^[1]; Leseman, Zayd Chad ^[2]; Gaskins, John T. ^[1]; Hopkins, Patrick E. ^[1]; Giri, Ashutosh ^[1]

Univ. of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA (United States)
Univ. of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM (United States)

In this study, we investigate thickness-limited size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films ranging from 3 to 1636 nm grown via sputter deposition. While exhibiting a constant value up to ~100 nm, the thermal conductivity increases with film thickness thereafter. The thickness dependence we demonstrate is ascribed to boundary scattering of long wavelength vibrations and an interplay between the energy transfer associated with propagating modes (propagons) and nonpropagating modes (diffusons). A crossover from propagon to diffuson modes is deduced to occur at a frequency of ~1.8 THz via simple analytical arguments. These results provide empirical evidence of size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon and systematic experimental insight into the nature of vibrational thermal transport in amorphous solids.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Sandia National Laboratories (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC04-94AL85000

OSTI ID:: 1251626

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1245039

Report Number(s):: SAND--2015-6735J; 598864

Journal Information:: Physical Review B, Journal Name: Physical Review B Journal Issue: 14 Vol. 93; ISSN 2469-9950; ISSN PRBMDO

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (40)

Thermal conductivity and interface thermal resistance of Si film on Si substrate determined by photothermal displacement interferometry Kuo, B. S. W.; Li, J. C. M.; Schmid, A. W. Applied Physics A Solids and Surfaces, Vol. 55, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00348399	journal	September 1992
Thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films Moon, Seungjae; Hatano, Mutsuko; Lee, Minghong International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol. 45, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0017-9310(01)00347-7	journal	June 2002
Broadband phonon mean free path contributions to thermal conductivity measured using frequency domain thermoreflectance Regner, Keith T.; Sellan, Daniel P.; Su, Zonghui Nature Communications, Vol. 4, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms2630	journal	March 2013
Thermal conductance of metal–diamond interfaces at high pressure Hohensee, Gregory T.; Wilson, R. B.; Cahill, David G. Nature Communications, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms7578	journal	March 2015
Length Dependent Thermal Conductivity Measurements Yield Phonon Mean Free Path Spectra in Nanostructures Zhang, Hang; Hua, Chengyun; Ding, Ding Scientific Reports, Vol. 5, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/srep09121	journal	March 2015
Measurement of thermal conductivity of silicon dioxide thin films using a 3ω method Yamane, Tsuneyuki; Nagai, Naoto; Katayama, Shin-ichiro Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 91, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1481958	journal	January 2002
Thermal conductivity of individual silicon nanowires Li, Deyu; Wu, Yiying; Kim, Philip Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 83, Issue 14, p. 2934-2936 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1616981	journal	October 2003
Analysis of heat flow in layered structures for time-domain thermoreflectance Cahill, David G. Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 75, Issue 12 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.1819431	journal	December 2004
Predicting the thermal conductivity of inorganic and polymeric glasses: The role of anharmonicity Shenogin, Sergei; Bodapati, Arun; Keblinski, Pawel Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 105, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3073954	journal	February 2009
Heat transport in amorphous silicon: Interplay between morphology and disorder He, Yuping; Donadio, Davide; Galli, Giulia Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 98, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3574366	journal	April 2011
Heat transport in thin dielectric films Lee, S. -M.; Cahill, David G. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 81, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.363923	journal	March 1997
Size-dependent model for thin film and nanowire thermal conductivity McGaughey, Alan J. H.; Landry, Eric S.; Sellan, Daniel P. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 99, Issue 13 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3644163	journal	September 2011
Simultaneous measurement of thermal conductivity and heat capacity of bulk and thin film materials using frequency-dependent transient thermoreflectance method Liu, Jun; Zhu, Jie; Tian, Miao Review of Scientific Instruments, Vol. 84, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4797479	journal	March 2013
Interpretation of thermoreflectance measurements with a two-temperature model including non-surface heat deposition Regner, K. T.; Wei, L. C.; Malen, J. A. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 118, Issue 23 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4937995	journal	December 2015
Diffusons, locons and propagons: Character of atomie yibrations in amorphous Si Allen, Philip B.; Feldman, Joseph L.; Fabian, Jaroslav Philosophical Magazine B, Vol. 79, Issue 11-12 https://doi.org/10.1080/13642819908223054	journal	November 1999
Advances in Studying Phonon Mean Free Path Dependent Contributions to Thermal Conductivity Regner, Keith T.; Freedman, Justin P.; Malen, Jonathan A. Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, Vol. 19, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1080/15567265.2015.1045640	journal	May 2015
Model for Lattice Thermal Conductivity at Low Temperatures Callaway, Joseph Physical Review, Vol. 113, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.113.1046	journal	February 1959
Analysis of Lattice Thermal Conductivity Holland, M. G. Physical Review, Vol. 132, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.132.2461	journal	December 1963
Thermal Conductivity and Phonon Scattering by Magnetic Impurities in CdTe Slack, Glen A.; Galginaitis, S. Physical Review, Vol. 133, Issue 1A https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.133.A253	journal	January 1964
Role of Low-Energy Phonons in Thermal Conduction Herring, Conyers Physical Review, Vol. 95, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRev.95.954	journal	August 1954
Surface generation and detection of phonons by picosecond light pulses Thomsen, C.; Grahn, H. T.; Maris, H. J. Physical Review B, Vol. 34, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.34.4129	journal	September 1986
Lower limit to the thermal conductivity of disordered crystals Cahill, David G.; Watson, S. K.; Pohl, R. O. Physical Review B, Vol. 46, Issue 10, p. 6131-6140 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.46.6131	journal	September 1992
Thermal conductivity of disordered harmonic solids Allen, Philip B.; Feldman, Joseph L. Physical Review B, Vol. 48, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.48.12581	journal	November 1993
Thermal conductivity of a -Si:H thin films Cahill, David G.; Katiyar, M.; Abelson, J. R. Physical Review B, Vol. 50, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.50.6077	journal	September 1994
Numerical study of low-frequency vibrations in amorphous silicon Feldman, Joseph L.; Allen, Philip B.; Bickham, Scott R. Physical Review B, Vol. 59, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.59.3551	journal	February 1999
Frequency dependence of the thermal conductivity of semiconductor alloys Koh, Yee Kan; Cahill, David G. Physical Review B, Vol. 76, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.76.075207	journal	August 2007
Anomalously high thermal conductivity of amorphous Si deposited by hot-wire chemical vapor deposition Yang, Ho-Soon; Cahill, David G.; Liu, X. Physical Review B, Vol. 81, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.81.104203	journal	March 2010
Mean free path spectra as a tool to understand thermal conductivity in bulk and nanostructures Yang, Fan; Dames, Chris Physical Review B, Vol. 87, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.035437	journal	January 2013
Heat transport by long mean free path vibrations in amorphous silicon nitride near room temperature Sultan, Rubina; Avery, A. D.; Underwood, J. M. Physical Review B, Vol. 87, Issue 21 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.87.214305	journal	June 2013
Thermal conductivity accumulation in amorphous silica and amorphous silicon Larkin, Jason M.; McGaughey, Alan J. H. Physical Review B, Vol. 89, Issue 14 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.89.144303	journal	April 2014
Nonlocal theory for heat transport at high frequencies Koh, Yee Kan; Cahill, David G.; Sun, Bo Physical Review B, Vol. 90, Issue 20 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.205412	journal	November 2014
High Thermal Conductivity of a Hydrogenated Amorphous Silicon Film Liu, Xiao; Feldman, J. L.; Cahill, D. G. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 102, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.102.035901	journal	January 2009
Experimental Investigation of Size Effects on the Thermal Conductivity of Silicon-Germanium Alloy Thin Films Cheaito, Ramez; Duda, John C.; Beechem, Thomas E. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 109, Issue 19 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.109.195901	journal	November 2012
Coherent Phonon Generation and Detection by Picosecond Light Pulses Thomsen, C.; Strait, J.; Vardeny, Z. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 53, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.53.989	journal	September 1984
Thermal Conductivity and Specific Heat of Thin-Film Amorphous Silicon Zink, B. L.; Pietri, R.; Hellman, F. Physical Review Letters, Vol. 96, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.96.055902	journal	February 2006
Criteria for Cross-Plane Dominated Thermal Transport in Multilayer Thin Film Systems During Modulated Laser Heating Hopkins, Patrick E.; Serrano, Justin R.; Phinney, Leslie M. Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 132, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4000993	journal	May 2010
From the Casimir Limit to Phononic Crystals: 20 Years of Phonon Transport Studies Using Silicon-on-Insulator Technology Marconnet, Amy M.; Asheghi, Mehdi; Goodson, Kenneth E. Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 135, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4023577	journal	May 2013
Thermal Conductivity of Amorphous Silicon Wada, Hiroshi; Kamijoh, Takeshi Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 35, Issue Part 2, No. 5B https://doi.org/10.1143/JJAP.35.L648	journal	May 1996
Thermal conductivity measurements via time-domain thermoreflectance for the characterization of radiation induced damage Cheaito, Ramez; Gorham, Caroline S.; Misra, Amit Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 30, Issue 9 https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2015.11	journal	May 2015
Pump-Probe Thermoreflectance Schmidt, Aaron J. Annual Review of Heat Transfer, Vol. 16, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1615/AnnualRevHeatTransfer.v16.60	journal	January 2013

Cited By (17)

Thermal Conductivity of Amorphous Materials Zhou, Wu‐Xing; Cheng, Yuan; Chen, Ke‐Qiu Advanced Functional Materials, Vol. 30, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201903829	journal	August 2019
Interfacial Defect Vibrations Enhance Thermal Transport in Amorphous Multilayers with Ultrahigh Thermal Boundary Conductance Giri, Ashutosh; King, Sean W.; Lanford, William A. Advanced Materials, Vol. 30, Issue 44 https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.201804097	journal	September 2018
Long-distance spin transport in a disordered magnetic insulator Wesenberg, Devin; Liu, Tao; Balzar, Davor Nature Physics, Vol. 13, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys4175	journal	July 2017
Probing thermal transport across amorphous region embedded in a single crystalline silicon nanowire Zhao, Yunshan; Liu, Xiangjun; Rath, Ashutosh Scientific Reports, Vol. 10, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-57514-9	journal	January 2020
The influence of titanium adhesion layer oxygen stoichiometry on thermal boundary conductance at gold contacts Olson, David H.; Freedy, Keren M.; McDonnell, Stephen J. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 112, Issue 17 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5022371	journal	April 2018
Electron-beam enhanced creep deformation of amorphous silicon nano-cantilever Hirakata, Hiroyuki; Konishi, Kenta; Kondo, Toshiyuki Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 10 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5116663	journal	September 2019
Spatially resolved thermoreflectance techniques for thermal conductivity measurements from the nanoscale to the mesoscale Olson, David H.; Braun, Jeffrey L.; Hopkins, Patrick E. Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 126, Issue 15 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5120310	journal	October 2019
Effects of medium range order on propagon thermal conductivity in amorphous silicon Hashemi, Amirreza; Babaei, Hasan; Lee, Sangyeop Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 127, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5124821	journal	January 2020
Thermal properties of carbon nitride toward use as an electrode in phase change memory devices Aryana, K.; Gaskins, J. T.; Nag, J. Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 116, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5134075	journal	January 2020
Thermal Transport in Disordered Materials DeAngelis, Freddy; Muraleedharan, Murali Gopal; Moon, Jaeyun Nanoscale and Microscale Thermophysical Engineering, Vol. 23, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1080/15567265.2018.1519004	journal	November 2018
Thermal conductivity of amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon films prepared by hot-wire chemical-vapor deposition Jugdersuren, B.; Kearney, B. T.; Queen, D. R. Physical Review B, Vol. 96, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.96.014206	journal	July 2017
Propagating elastic vibrations dominate thermal conduction in amorphous silicon Moon, Jaeyun; Latour, Benoit; Minnich, Austin J. Physical Review B, Vol. 97, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.97.024201	journal	January 2018
Localization of vibrational modes leads to reduced thermal conductivity of amorphous heterostructures Giri, Ashutosh; Donovan, Brian F.; Hopkins, Patrick E. Physical Review Materials, Vol. 2, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.2.056002	journal	May 2018
Diffuson-driven ultralow thermal conductivity in amorphous N b 2 O 5 thin films Cheng, Zhe; Weidenbach, Alex; Feng, Tianli Physical Review Materials, Vol. 3, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.3.025002	journal	February 2019
Boron anomaly in the thermal conductivity of lithium borate glasses Sørensen, Søren S.; Johra, Hicham; Mauro, John C. Physical Review Materials, Vol. 3, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.3.075601	journal	July 2019
On the Steady-State Temperature Rise During Laser Heating of Multilayer Thin Films in Optical Pump–Probe Techniques Braun, Jeffrey L.; Szwejkowski, Chester J.; Giri, Ashutosh Journal of Heat Transfer, Vol. 140, Issue 5 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4038713	journal	February 2018
Propagating elastic vibrations dominate thermal conduction in amorphous silicon Moon, Jaeyun; Latour, Benoit; Minnich, Austin arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.1704.08360	text	January 2017

Similar Records

Ultimate Suppression of Thermal Transport in Amorphous Silicon Nitride by Phononic Nanostructure.

Journal Article · Tue Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Science Advances · OSTI ID:1840694

Nanoscale laser flash measurements of diffuson transport in amorphous Ge and Si

Journal Article · Sun Apr 17 20:00:00 EDT 2022 · APL Materials · OSTI ID:1979034

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE

Size effects on the thermal conductivity of amorphous silicon thin films

Citation Formats

References (40)

Cited By (17)

Similar Records

Related Subjects