THERMAL BOUNDARY RESISTANCE MEASUREMENTS USING A TRANSIENT THERMOREFLECTANCE TECHNIQUE

• Published in: Microscale thermophysical engineering Vol. 4; no. 1; pp. 51 - 60
• Main Authors: SMITH, A. N, HOSTETLER, J. L, NORRIS, P. M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Informa UK Ltd 01.01.2000; Taylor & Francis
• Subjects: Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Exact sciences and technology; Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic; Physics; Surfaces and interfaces; thin films and whiskers (structure and nonelectronic properties); Thermal stability; thermal effects; Thin films; Thermal boundary resistance; Non destructive method; Gold; Thermoreflectance; Measuring methods; Thermal diffusivity; Experimental study; Pulsed lasers
• ISSN: 1089-3954; 1091-7640
• DOI: 10.1080/108939500199637

A transient thermoreflectance technique, using a 200-fs laser pulse, is demonstrated as a nondestructive method for measuring the thermal boundary resistance between a thin metallic film and dielectric substrate. Experimental results are presented for Au deposited on silicon and silicon dioxide substrates taken at room temperature and compared to a thermal model. The relevant thermal properties of the metal film and the substrate are known, leaving the thermal boundary resistance as the only free parameter in the least-squares fitting routine. It is shown that the sensitivity of this technique is related directly to the thermal diffusivity of the substrate. A comparison between the diffuse mismatch model, the phonon radiation limit, and the experimental results indicates that the phonon dispersion relations of the materials can be utilized to give a qualitative prediction of the thermal boundary resistance.