Interfacial Defect Vibrations Enhance Thermal Transport in Amorphous Multilayers with Ultrahigh Thermal Boundary...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Thermal Transport

Background:

• Traditionally, interfacial nonidealities and disorder are assumed to increase thermal resistance, reducing thermal boundary conductance (TBC).
• Recent computational work suggests defects might enhance TBC via unique vibrational modes, challenging conventional understanding.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide experimental evidence that interfacial defects can enhance TBC.
• To investigate the role of unique vibrational modes in interfacial heat transfer.
• To demonstrate ultrahigh TBC at amorphous SiOC:H/SiC:H interfaces and explore defect engineering.

Main Methods:

• Experimental investigation of thermal transport across amorphous SiOC:H/SiC:H interfaces.
• Introduction of nitrogen defects to study their effect on TBC.
• Analysis of high-frequency vibrational modes arising from mass defects.

Main Results:

• Experimental validation that interfacial defects enhance TBC.
• Observation of unique high-frequency vibrational modes associated with light atomic mass defects.
• Achieved ultrahigh TBC values approaching 1 GW m-2 K-1 at amorphous SiOC:H/SiC:H interfaces.
• Demonstrated further TBC enhancement by introducing nitrogen defects.

Conclusions:

• Interfacial defects can significantly enhance TBC through specific vibrational modes, contrary to traditional theory.
• Disordered interfaces with engineered defects offer a novel pathway to manipulate and improve interfacial thermal transport.
• The findings open new avenues for controlling heat transfer in materials with high interface densities.