Estimation of the isotope effect on the lattice thermal conductivity of group IV and group III-V semiconductors
Abstract
The isotope effect on the lattice thermal conductivity for group IV and group III-V semiconductors is calculated using the Debye-Callaway model modified to include both transverse and longitudinal phonon modes explicitly. The frequency and temperature dependences of the normal and umklapp phonon-scattering rates are kept the same for all compounds. The model requires as adjustable parameters only the longitudinal and transverse phonon Gr\"uneisen constants and the effective sample diameter. The model can quantitatively account for the observed isotope effect in diamond and germanium but not in silicon. The magnitude of the isotope effect is predicted for silicon carbide, boron nitride, and gallium nitride. In the case of boron nitride the predicted increase in the room-temperature thermal conductivity with isotopic enrichment is in excess of 100%. Finally, a more general method of estimating normal phonon-scattering rate coefficients for other types of solids is presented.
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Some debate exists on the importance of isotope scattering in gallium-based semiconductors, though authors agree that it is diminished at high temperatures.
“Some debate exists on the importance of isotope scattering in gallium-based semiconductors, though authors agree that it is diminished at high temperatures31383940.”
From Universal phonon mean free path spectra in crystalline semiconductors at high temperature (2013) · cites this paper as [38]
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- Authors
- Morelli, D. T., Heremans, J. P., & Slack, G. A.
- Affiliations
- Aptiv (United States) (US)
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (US)
- Venue
- Physical Review B
- Publisher
- American Physical Society (APS)
- Published
- 2002-11-01
- Volume
- 66
- Issue
- 19
- ISSN
- 0163-1829 (ISSN-L)
- 1095-3795
- OpenAlex
- W2092593285
- Cited by
- 628
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 26 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 42 · 2022: 35 · 2021: 45 · 2020: 43 · 2019: 42 · 2018: 52 · 2017: 37 · 2016: 40 · 2015: 46 · 2014: 35 · 2013: 23 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 1.64
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Physical review. B, Condensed matter (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Thermal properties of materials
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices
- Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Thermal Expansion and Ionic Conductivity
- Keywords
- isotope effects, lattice thermal conductivity, Debye-Callaway model, phonon scattering, Umklapp scattering, Grüneisen parameter, diamond, germanium, silicon, silicon carbide, boron nitride, gallium nitride, isotope enrichment
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