A new technique for modelling phonon scattering processes at rough interfaces and free boundaries of solids

Abstract

Scattering processes at interfaces and free boundaries of solids strongly affect heat transfer in micro- and nanostructures such as integrated circuits, periodic nanostructures, multilayer thin films, and other nanomaterials. Among many influencing factors, surface roughness due to atomic disorder plays a significant role in the rate of thermal transport. Existing approaches have been developed only for the limiting cases of smooth or completely diffuse surfaces. We have developed a new effective and simple method based on a direct consideration of the scattering of elastic waves from a statistically random profile (using a normal Gaussian surface as an example). This approach, first, allows to generalize common methods for determining the thermal properties of a real random rough surface using simple modifications, and, second, provides a tool for calculating the Kapitza conductance and the effective longitudinal thermal conductivity and studying the influence of roughness on heat transfer.