Due to the technological significance of silicon, its heat conduction mechanisms have been studied extensively. However, there have been some lingering questions surrounding the phonon mean free path and importance of different polarizations. This research investigates phonon transport in bulk crystalline silicon using molecular dynamics and lattice dynamics. The interactions are modeled with the environment dependent interatomic potential (EDIP), which was designed to represent the bulk phases of silicon. Temperature and phonon frequency dependent relaxation times are extracted from the MD simulations and used to generate a detailed picture of phonon transport. It is found that longitudinal acoustic phonons have the highest contribution to thermal conductivity and that the phonon mean free path varies by orders of magnitude with respect to the phonon spectra. For relaxation times, we observe moderate anisotropy and good agreement with the frequency dependence predicted by scattering theories. We also find that phonons with mean free paths between .1 and 10 micron are responsible for 50% of the thermal conduction, while phonons with wavelengths less than 10 nanometers make up 80%.

The inability to remove heat efficiently is currently one of the stumbling blocks toward further miniaturization and advancement of electronic, optoelectronic, and micro-electro-mechanical devices. In order to formulate better heat removal strategies and designs, it is first necessary to understand the fundamental mechanisms of heat transport in semiconductor thin films. Modeling techniques, based on first principles, can play the crucial role of filling gaps in our understanding by revealing information that experiments are incapable of. Heat conduction in crystalline semiconductor films occurs by lattice vibrations that result in the propagation of quanta of energy called phonons. If the mean free path of the traveling phonons is larger than the film thickness, thermodynamic equilibrium ceases to exist, and thus, the Fourier law of heat conduction is invalid. In this scenario, bulk thermal conductivity values, which are experimentally determined by inversion of the Fourier law itself, cannot be used for analysis. The Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) is a powerful tool to treat non-equilibrium heat transport in thin films. The BTE describes the evolution of the number density (or energy) distribution for phonons as a result of transport (or drift) and inter-phonon collisions. Drift causes the phonon energy distribution to deviate from equilibrium, while collisions tend to restore equilibrium. Prior to solution of the BTE, it is necessary to compute the lifetimes (or scattering rates) for phonons of all wave-vector and polarization. The lifetime of a phonon is the net result of its collisions with other phonons, which in turn is governed by the conservation of energy and momentum during the underlying collision processes. This research project contributed to the state-of-the-art in two ways: (1) by developing and demonstrating a calibration-free simple methodology to compute intrinsic phonon scattering (Normal and Umklapp processes) time scales with the inclusion of optical phonons, and (2) by developing a suite of numerical algorithms for solution of the BTE for phonons. The suite of numerical algorithms includes Monte Carlo techniques and deterministic techniques based on the Discrete Ordinates Method and the Ballistic-Diffusive approximation of the BTE. These methods were applied to calculation of thermal conductivity of silicon thin films, and to simulate heat conduction in multi-dimensional structures. In addition, thermal transport in silicon nanowires was investigated using two different first principles methods. One was to apply the Green-Kubo formulation to an equilibrium system. The other was to use Non-Equilibrium Molecular Dynamics (NEMD). Results of MD simulations showed that the nanowire cross-sectional shape and size significantly affects the thermal conductivity, as has been found experimentally. In summary, the project clarified the role of various phonon modes - in particular, optical phonon - in non-equilibrium transport in silicon. It laid the foundation for the solution of the BTE in complex three-dimensional structures using deterministic techniques, paving the way for the development of robust numerical tools that could be coupled to existing device simulation tools to enable coupled electro-thermal modeling of practical electronic/optoelectronic devices. Finally, it shed light on why the thermal conductivity of silicon nanowires is so sensitive to its cross-sectional shape.

Over the last decade, substantial attention has been paid to novel nanostructures based on two-dimensional (2D) materials. Among the hundreds of 2D materials that have been successfully synthesized in recent years, graphene, boron nitride, and molybdenum disulfide are the ones that have been intensively studied. It has been demonstrated that these materials exhibit thermal conductivities significantly higher than those of bulk samples of the same material. However, little is known about the physics of phonons in these materials, especially when tensile strain is applied. Properties of these materials are still not well understood, and modelling approaches are still needed to support engineering design of these novel nanostructures. In this thesis, I use state-of-the-art atomistic simulation techniques in combination with statistical thermodynamics formulations to obtain the phonon properties (lifetime, group velocity, and heat capacity) and thermal conductivities of unstrained and strained samples of graphene, boron nitride, molybdenum disulfide, and also superlattices of graphene and boron nitride. Special emphasis is given to the role of the acoustic phonon modes and the thermal response of these materials to the application of tensile strain. I apply spectral analysis to a set of molecular dynamics trajectories to estimate phonon lifetimes, harmonic lattice dynamics to estimate phonon group velocities, and Bose-Einstein statistics to estimate phonon heat capacities. These phonon properties are used to predict the thermal conductivity by means of a mode-dependent equation from kinetic theory. In the superlattices, I study the variation of the frequency dependence of the phonon properties with the periodicity and interface configuration (zigzag and armchair) for superlattices with period lengths within the coherent regime. The results showed that the thermal conductivity decreases significantly from the shortest period length to the second period length, 13% across the interfaces and 16% along the interfaces. For greater periods, the conductivity across the interfaces continues decreasing at a smaller rate of 11 W/mK per period length increase, driven by changes in the phonon group velocities (coherent effects). In contrast, the conductivity along the interfaces slightly recovers at a rate of 2 W/mK per period, driven by changes in the phonon relaxation times (diffusive effects).

This is a graduate level textbook in nanoscale heat transfer and energy conversion that can also be used as a reference for researchers in the developing field of nanoengineering. It provides a comprehensive overview of microscale heat transfer, focusing on thermal energy storage and transport. Chen broadens the readership by incorporating results from related disciplines, from the point of view of thermal energy storage and transport, and presents related topics on the transport of electrons, phonons, photons, and molecules. This book is part of the MIT-Pappalardo Series in Mechanical Engineering.

The main objective of this book is to cover the basic understanding of thermal conduction mechanisms in various high thermal conductivity materials including diamond, cubic boron nitride, and also the latest material like carbon nanotubes. The book is intended as a good reference book for scientists and engineers involved in addressing thermal management issues in a broad spectrum of industries. Leading researchers from industry and academic institutions who are well known in their areas of expertise have contributed a chapter in the field of their interest.

There are only a few discoveries and new technologies in materials science that have the potential to dramatically alter and revolutionize our material world. Discovery of two-dimensional (2D) materials, the thinnest form of materials to ever occur in nature, is one of them. After isolation of graphene from graphite in 2004, a whole other class of atomically thin materials, dominated by surface effects and showing completely unexpected and extraordinary properties, has been created. This book provides a comprehensive view and state-of-the-art knowledge about 2D materials such as graphene, hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN), transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) and so on. It consists of 11 chapters contributed by a team of experts in this exciting field and provides latest synthesis techniques of 2D materials, characterization and their potential applications in energy conservation, electronics, optoelectronics and biotechnology.

A comprehensive advanced level examination of the transport theory of nanoscale devices Provides advanced level material of electron transport in nanoscale devices from basic principles of quantum mechanics through to advanced theory and various numerical techniques for electron transport Combines several up-to-date theoretical and numerical approaches in a unified manner, such as Wigner-Boltzmann equation, the recent progress of carrier transport research for nanoscale MOS transistors, and quantum correction approximations The authors approach the subject in a logical and systematic way, reflecting their extensive teaching and research backgrounds

This volume of Statistical Physics consititutes the second part of Statistical Physics (Springer Series in Solid-State Science, Vols. 30, 31) and is devoted to nonequilibrium theories of statistical mechanics. We start with an intro duction to the stochastic treatment of Brownian motion and then proceed to general problems involved in deriving a physical process from an underlying more basic process. Relaxation from nonequilibrium to equilibrium states and the response of a system to an external disturbance form the central problems of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics. These problems are treated both phenomenologically and microscopically along the lines of re cent developments. Emphasis is placed on fundamental concepts and methods rather than on applications which are too numerous to be treated exhaustively within the limited space of this volume. For information on the general aim of this book, the reader is referred to the Foreword. For further reading, the reader should consult the bibliographies, although these are not meant to be exhaustive.

Rapid developments in technology have led to enhanced electronic systems and applications. When utilized correctly, these can have significant impacts on communication and computer systems. Transport of Information-Carriers in Semiconductors and Nanodevices is an innovative source of academic material on transport modelling in semiconductor material and nanoscale devices. Including a range of perspectives on relevant topics such as charge carriers, semiclassical transport theory, and organic semiconductors, this is an ideal publication for engineers, researchers, academics, professionals, and practitioners interested in emerging developments on transport equations that govern information carriers.