Thermal Conduction in Planar Si/Ge Superlattices: Role of the Phonon Interface Scattering

Authors theoretically investigated phonon and thermal properties of planar Si/Ge superlattices, using the Born-von Karman model of lattice vibrations and the Boltzmann transport equation within relaxation time approximation. It was demonstrated that spatial confinement of phonons in nanolayers and superlattices strongly influences both the phonon energy spectrum and thermal conductivity. It was established that interface mass-mixing scattering of phonons is an important mechanism of phonon scattering in planar superlattices.