Computational Study of In-Plane Phonon Transport in Si Thin Films
Open accessAbstract
We have systematically investigated the in-plane thermal transport in Si thin films using an approach based on the first-principles calculations and lattice dynamics. The effects of phonon mode depletion induced by the phonon confinement and the corresponding variation in interphonon scattering, which may be important for the thermal conductivities of ultra-thin films but are often neglected in precedent studies, are considered in this study. The in-plane thermal conductivities of Si thin films with different thicknesses have been predicted over a temperature range from 80 K to 800 K and excellent agreements with experimental results are found. The validities of adopting the bulk phonon properties and gray approximation of surface specularity in thin film studies have been clarified. It is found that in ultra-thin films, while the phonon depletion will reduce the thermal conductivity of Si thin films, its effect is largely offset by the reduction in the interphonon scattering rate. The contributions of different phonon modes to the thermal transport and isotope effects in Si films with different thicknesses under various temperatures are also analyzed.
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The obtained coupling factor g at room temperature lies in the order of 10^14 W m−3 K−1, as expected from scattering rates of low-frequency phonons.
“The obtained coupling factor g lies in the order of 10 14 Wm -3 K -1 , which is expected by the scattering rates of low-frequency phonons [35, 36].”
From Boundary conditions dictate frequency dependence of thermal conductivity in silicon (2025) · cites this paper as [36]
The Methods section on phonon–phonon scattering and the Discussion address phonon scattering rates, including those of low-frequency phonons. Neither reports a coupling factor g or relates a value of 10^14 W m−3 K−1 to those rates (searched for the factor, its value, and low-frequency phonon scattering). (LLM, conf=0.77)
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Boundary conditions dictate frequency dependence of thermal conductivity in silicon
Liu, Y., Li, Q., Liu, F., Wang, X., & Sun, B. (2025) · Applied Physics Reviews · doi:10.1063/5.0254248 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
“Low-frequency phonons in Channel 1 contribute 46.8 % of the total Λ while high-frequency phonons contribute 53.2 %, consistent with theoretical predictions [33].”
InfluentialSelf-citationBoundary conditions dictate frequency dependence of thermal conductivity in silicon
Liu, Y., Li, Q., Liu, F., Wang, X., & Sun, B. (2024) · arXiv · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2412.02227 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“Low-frequency phonons in Channel 1 contribute 46.8 % of the total Λ while high-frequency phonons contribute 53.2 %, consistent with theoretical predictions [33].”
InfluentialSelf-citation
- Authors
- Wang, X., & Huang, B.
- Affiliations
- Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HK)
- Corresponding author
- Huang, Baoling
- ORCID
- Huang, Baoling
- Venue
- Scientific Reports
- Published
- 2014-09-17
- Volume
- 4
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 6399-6399
- ISSN
- 2045-2322 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC4165977
- OpenAlex
- W2083691792
- Cited by
- 101
- References
- 4
- Citations by year
- 2026: 5 · 2025: 13 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 6 · 2020: 7 · 2019: 9 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 13
- FWCI
- 5.45
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Update notices
- erratum (2015-01-20)
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Locations
- Scientific Reports (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Rare & Special e-Zone (The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Thermal properties of materials
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Civil and Structural Engineering › Thermal Radiation and Cooling Technologies
- Physical Sciences › Engineering › Mechanics of Materials › Thermoelastic and Magnetoelastic Phenomena
- Keywords
- in-plane thermal conductivity, silicon thin films, phonon confinement, ultrathin films, isotope effects, phonon transport, film thickness dependence
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