Interfacial Thermal Conductance between Cu and Diamond with Interconnected W-W₂C Interlayer

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Thermal Management
• Nanocomposites

Background:

• Enhancing interfacial thermal conductance (G) in Copper/diamond (Cu/diamond) composites is crucial for advanced thermal management.
• Interconnected interlayers are common in Cu/diamond composites, but their effect on G is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between interfacial structure and thermal conductance in Cu/diamond composites.
• To experimentally measure G for Cu/diamond structures with interconnected interlayers.

Main Methods:

• Fabrication of Cu/diamond structures with W, W2C, and interconnected W-W2C interlayers using magnetron sputtering and heat treatment.
• Experimental measurement of interfacial thermal conductance (G) using time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR).
• Molecular dynamics simulations to analyze interfacial properties and thermal conductivity.

Main Results:

• The Cu/W-W2C/diamond structure exhibited an intermediate G of 25.8 MW/m^2 K.
• G values for Cu/W2C/diamond and Cu/W/diamond were 19.9 MW/m^2 K and 29.4 MW/m^2 K, respectively.
• Molecular dynamics indicated W2C enhances G at the W2C/diamond interface but lowers overall G in Cu/W2C/diamond due to W2C's low thermal conductivity.

Conclusions:

• This study provides the first experimental measurement of G in Cu/diamond with an interconnected interlayer.
• The findings offer crucial insights into designing interfaces for improved thermal conductivity in Cu/diamond composites.
• Understanding the role of interconnected interlayers is key for optimizing thermal management materials.