Rapid progress in the synthesis and processing of materials with structure on nanometer length scales has created a demand for greater scientific understanding of thermal transport in nanoscale devices, individual nanostructures, and nanostructured materials. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation that have occurred in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces between materials become increasingly important on small length scales. The thermal conductance of many solid–solid interfaces have been studied experimentally but the range of observed interface properties is much smaller than predicted by simple theory. Classical molecular dynamics simulations are emerging as a powerful tool for calculations of thermal conductance and phonon scattering, and may provide for a lively interplay of experiment and theory in the near term. Fundamental issues remain concerning the correct definitions of temperature in nonequilibrium nanoscale systems. Modern Si microelectronics are now firmly in the nanoscale regime—experiments have demonstrated that the close proximity of interfaces and the extremely small volume of heat dissipation strongly modifies thermal transport, thereby aggravating problems of thermal management. Microelectronic devices are too large to yield to atomic-level simulation in the foreseeable future and, therefore, calculations of thermal transport must rely on solutions of the Boltzmann transport equation; microscopic phonon scattering rates needed for predictive models are, even for Si, poorly known. Low-dimensional nanostructures, such as carbon nanotubes, are predicted to have novel transport properties; the first quantitative experiments of the thermal conductivity of nanotubes have recently been achieved using microfabricated measurement systems. Nanoscale porosity decreases the permittivity of amorphous dielectrics but porosity also strongly decreases the thermal conductivity. The promise of improved thermoelectric materials and problems of thermal management of optoelectronic devices have stimulated extensive studies of semiconductor superlattices; agreement between experiment and theory is generally poor. Advances in measurement methods, e.g., the 3ω method, time-domain thermoreflectance, sources of coherent phonons, microfabricated test structures, and the scanning thermal microscope, are enabling new capabilities for nanoscale thermal metrology.

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Nanoscale thermal transport

Critical phenomena and renormalization-group theory

A diverse spectrum of technology drivers such as improved thermal barriers, higher efficiency thermoelectric energy conversion, phase-change memory, heat-assisted magnetic recording, thermal management of nanoscale electronics, and nanoparticles for thermal medical therapies are motivating studies of the applied physics of thermal transport at the nanoscale. This review emphasizes developments in experiment, theory, and computation in the past ten years and summarizes the present status of the field. Interfaces become increasingly important on small length scales. Research during the past decade has extended studies of interfaces between simple metals and inorganic crystals to interfaces with molecular materials and liquids with systematic control of interface chemistry and physics. At separations on the order of ∼1 nm, the science of radiative transport through nanoscale gaps overlaps with thermal conduction by the coupling of electronic and vibrational excitations across weakly bonded or rough interface...

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Nanoscale thermal transport. II. 2003–2012

Understanding energy dissipation and transport in nanoscale structures is of great importance for the design of energy-efficient circuits and energy-conversion systems. This is also a rich domain for fundamental discoveries at the intersection of electron, lattice (phonon), and optical (photon) interactions. This review presents recent progress in understanding and manipulation of energy dissipation and transport in nanoscale solid-state structures. First, the landscape of power usage from nanoscale transistors (∼10−8 W) to massive data centers (∼109 W) is surveyed. Then, focus is given to energy dissipation in nanoscale circuits, silicon transistors, carbon nanostructures, and semiconductor nanowires. Concepts of steady-state and transient thermal transport are also reviewed in the context of nanoscale devices with sub-nanosecond switching times. Finally, recent directions regarding energy transport are reviewed, including electrical and thermal conductivity of nanostructures, thermal rectification, and the role of ubiquitous material interfaces. 
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Energy dissipation and transport in nanoscale devices

Understanding energy dissipation and transport in nanoscale structures is of great importance for the design of energy-efficient circuits and energy-conversion systems. This is also a rich domain for fundamental discoveries at the intersection of electron, lattice (phonon), and optical (photon) interactions. This review presents recent progress in understanding and manipulation of energy dissipation and transport in nanoscale solid-state structures. First, the landscape of power usage from nanoscale transistors (~10^-8 W) to massive data centers (~10^9 W) is surveyed. Then, focus is given to energy dissipation in nanoscale circuits, silicon transistors, carbon nanostructures, and semiconductor nanowires. Concepts of steady-state and transient thermal transport are also reviewed in the context of nanoscale devices with sub-nanosecond switching times. Finally, recent directions regarding energy transport are reviewed, including electrical and thermal conductivity of nanostructures, thermal rectification, and the role of ubiquitous material interfaces.

/pdf/energy-dissipation-and-transport-in-nanoscale-devices-17sw2ubrhz.pdf

Energy Dissipation and Transport in Nanoscale Devices

The thermal conductivity of sputtered amorphous-Ge2Sb2Te5 (a-GST)/ZnS:SiO2 and crystalline-Ge2Sb2Te5 (c-GST)/ZnS:SiO2 multilayer films has been measured in the temperature range between 50 and 300 K using the 3ω method. The conductivity data in the direction of the cross plane of the films showed lower values than the series conductance of the constituent layers, which was calculated from the thermal conductivity of thick a-GST, c-GST, and ZnS:SiO2 films measured independently. From the reduction in the multilayer thermal conductivity, the thermal boundary resistance at the interface between GST and ZnS:SiO2 films was calculated. The boundary resistance in the c-GST multilayer was lower than that for the a-GST case in the whole measured temperature region.

Thermal boundary resistance at Ge2Sb2Te5/ZnS:SiO2 interface

A dynamic contact mode operation of electrostatic-force microscopy (EFM) with an ac modulation has been developed and used to investigate the domain strucutre and dynamics of a triglycine sulfate single crystal. Well-separated topographic and domain contrast images have been obtained by detecting the force instead of the force gradient in the dynamic contact mode operation of EFM. Surface charge density and the anisotropic domain wall thickness have been measured. The evolution of domains embedded in an oppositely polarized larger domain indicates the existence of a significant interaction between domains of the same polarity.

Surface charge density and evolution of domain structure in triglycine sulfate determined by electrostatic-force microscopy

Highly (0001)-oriented thin films of YMnO3 were grown directly on Si substrates by chemical solution deposition. The crystallinity of the films was investigated by using x-ray diffraction: θ–2θ scan, rocking curve, and pole figure. Analysis of the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy data and Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy spectrum showed that the films had a single phase of stoichiometric YMnO3. The ferroelectric properties of YMnO3 were investigated by measuring the temperature dependence of the capacitance–voltage characteristics in the metal/ferroelectric/semiconductor structure. Screening of the ferroelectricity of YMnO3 thin film at room temperature was discussed in conjunction with the charge effects.

Ferroelectric characterization of highly (0001)-oriented YMnO3 thin films grown by chemical solution deposition

Ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12 thin films have been grown on MgO (100) and MgO(110) substrates by the pulsed laser deposition. X‐ray diffraction studies show that the films on both substrates have preferential crystallographic orientation such that most of their c axes are close to the substrate normal direction. The film on MgO(110) shows quadratic and hysteretic electro‐optic characteristics with the effective coefficient of about 3.8×10−15 m2/V2.

https://www.uh.edu/~kbyung/paperpdf/Apl_afm.pdf

Structural and electro‐optic properties of pulsed laser deposited Bi4Ti3O12 thin films on MgO

Bi4Ti3O12 thin films have been grown by laser ablation on SrTiO3(100) and SrTiO3(110) substrates. Substrate surface orientation is found to be an important growth parameter which determines crystal axis orientation, grain growth behavior, and electro‐optic properties of the Bi4Ti3O12 thin films. The films grown on SrTiO3(110) shows a ferroelectric phase transition near 720 °C and a large quadratic electro‐optic effect with the effective coefficient 1.1×10−16 m2/V 2.

/pdf/structural-and-electro-optic-properties-of-laser-ablated-170ow0tpe7.pdf

Sook-Il Kwun

Papers

Thermal boundary resistance at Ge2Sb2Te5/ZnS:SiO2 interface

Surface charge density and evolution of domain structure in triglycine sulfate determined by electrostatic-force microscopy

Ferroelectric characterization of highly (0001)-oriented YMnO3 thin films grown by chemical solution deposition

Structural and electro‐optic properties of pulsed laser deposited Bi4Ti3O12 thin films on MgO

Structural and electro‐optic properties of laser ablated Bi4Ti3O12 thin films on SrTiO3(100) and SrTiO3(110)