Heat conduction in semiconductors and dielectrics involves cumulative contributions from phonons with different frequencies and mean free paths (MFPs). Knowing the phonon MFP distribution allows us to gain insight into the fundamental microscopic transport physics and has important implications for many energy applications. The key metric that quantifies the relative contributions of different phonon MFPs to thermal conductivity is termed thermal conductivity accumulation function. In this thesis, we advance a thermal conductivity spectroscopy technique based upon experimental observation of non-diffusive thermal transport using wire grid linear polarizer in conjunction with time-domain thermoreflectance (TDTR) pump-and-probe measurement setup. Consistent algorithm based on solution from the phonon Boltzmann transport equation (BTE) is also developed to approximately extract the thermal conductivity accumulation functions in materials studied. The heat flux suppression function appropriate for the experimental sample geometry relates the measured apparent thermal conductivities to the material's phonon MFP distributions. We develop a multi-dimensional thermal transport model based on the gray phonon BTE to find the suppression function relevant to our spectroscopy experiment. The simulation results reveal that the suppression function depends upon both the heater size and the heater array period. We also find that the suppression function depends significantly on the location of the temperature measurement. Residual suppression effect is observed for finite filling fractions (ratio of heater size to heater array period) due to the transport coupling in the underlying substrate induced by the neighboring heaters. Prior phonon MFP spectroscopy techniques suffer from one or several of the following limitations: (1) diffraction limited to micrometer lengthscales by focusing optics, (2) applying only to transparent materials, or (3) involving complex micro-fabrications. We explore an alternate approach here using wire grid linear polarizer in combination with TDTR measurement. The wire grid polarizer is designed with sub-wavelength gaps between neighboring heaters to prevent direct photo-excitation in the substrate while simultaneously functioning as heaters and thermometers during the measurement. The spectroscopy technique is demonstrated in crystalline silicon by studying length-dependent thermal transport across a range of lengthscales and temperatures. We utilize the calculated heat flux suppression functions and the measured size-dependent effective thermal conductivities to reconstruct the phonon MFPs in silicon and achieve reasonably good agreement with calculation results from first principle density function theory. Knowledge of phonon MFP distributions in thermoelectric materials will help design nanostructures to further reduce lattice thermal conductivity to achieve better thermoelectric performance in the next-generation thermoelectric devices. We apply the developed wire grid polarizer spectroscopy technique to study phonon MFP distributions in two thermoelectric materials: Nb0.95 Ti0.05FeSb and boron-doped nanocrystalline Si80Ge20B. We find that the dominant phonon MFPs that contribute to thermal conductivity in those two materials are in the a few tens to a few hundreds of nanometers. The measurement results also shed light on why nanostructuring is an effective approach to scattering phonons and improve the thermoelectric behavior.

Heat conduction in semiconductors and dielectrics depends upon their phonon mean free paths that describe the average travelling distance between two consecutive phonon scattering events. Nondiffusive phonon transport is being exploited to extract phonon mean free path distributions. Here, we describe an implementation of a nanoscale thermal conductivity spectroscopy technique that allows for the study of mean free path distributions in optically absorbing materials with relatively simple fabrication and a straightforward analysis scheme. We pattern 1D metallic grating of various line widths but fixed gap size on sample surfaces. The metal lines serve as both heaters and thermometers in time-domain thermoreflectance measurements and simultaneously act as wiregrid polarizers that protect the underlying substrate from direct optical excitation and heating. We demonstrate the viability of this technique by studying length-dependent thermal conductivities of silicon at various temperatures. The thermal conductivities measured with different metal line widths are analyzed using suppression functions calculated from the Boltzmann transport equation to extract the phonon mean free path distributions with no calibration required. Furthermore, this table-top ultrafast thermal transport spectroscopy technique enables the study of mean free path spectra in a wide range of technologically important materials.

Energy transport and conversion in nanoscale structures is a rapidly expanding area of science. It looks set to make a significant impact on human life and, with numerous commercial developments emerging, will become a major academic topic over the coming years. Owing to the difficulty in experimental measurement, computational simulation has becom

This up-to-date reference is the most comprehensive summary of the field of nanoscience and its applications. It begins with fundamental properties at the nanoscale and then goes well beyond into the practical aspects of the design, synthesis, and use of nanomaterials in various industries. It emphasizes the vast strides made in the field over the past decade – the chapters focus on new, promising directions as well as emerging theoretical and experimental methods. The contents incorporate experimental data and graphs where appropriate, as well as supporting tables and figures with a tutorial approach.

The monograph is devoted to the investigation of physical processes that govern the phonon transport in bulk and nanoscale single-crystal samples of cubic symmetry. Special emphasis is given to the study of phonon focusing in cubic crystals and its influence on the boundary scattering and lattice thermal conductivity of bulk materials and nanostructures.

This 21st Century Nanoscience Handbook will be the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field of nanoscience. Handbook of Nanophysics, by the same editor, published in the fall of 2010, was embraced as the first comprehensive reference to consider both fundamental and applied aspects of nanophysics. This follow-up project has been conceived as a necessary expansion and full update that considers the significant advances made in the field since 2010. It goes well beyond the physics as warranted by recent developments in the field. Key Features: Provides the most comprehensive, up-to-date large reference work for the field. Chapters written by international experts in the field. Emphasises presentation and real results and applications. This handbook distinguishes itself from other works by its breadth of coverage, readability and timely topics. The intended readership is very broad, from students and instructors to engineers, physicists, chemists, biologists, biomedical researchers, industry professionals, governmental scientists, and others whose work is impacted by nanotechnology. It will be an indispensable resource in academic, government, and industry libraries worldwide. The fields impacted by nanoscience extend from materials science and engineering to biotechnology, biomedical engineering, medicine, electrical engineering, pharmaceutical science, computer technology, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, food science, and beyond.

For the efficient utilization of energy resources and the minimization of environmental damage, thermoelectric materials can play an important role by converting waste heat into electricity directly. Nanostructured thermoelectric materials have received much attention recently due to the potential for enhanced properties associated with size effects and quantum confinement. Nanoscale Thermoelectrics describes the theory underlying these phenomena, as well as various thermoelectric materials and nanostructures such as carbon nanotubes, SiGe nanowires, and graphene nanoribbons. Chapters written by leading scientists throughout the world are intended to create a fundamental bridge between thermoelectrics and nanotechnology, and to stimulate readers' interest in developing new types of thermoelectric materials and devices for power generation and other applications. Nanoscale Thermoelectrics is both a comprehensive introduction to the field and a guide to further research, and can be recommended for Physics, Electrical Engineering, and Materials Science departments.

This book, edited by Prof. Marta Rencz and Prof Andras Poppe, Budapest University of Technology and Economics, and by Prof. Lorenzo Codecasa, Politecnico di Milano, collects fourteen papers carefully selected for the “thermal and electro-thermal system simulation” Special Issue of Energies. These contributions present the latest results in a currently very “hot” topic in electronics: the thermal and electro-thermal simulation of electronic components and systems. Several papers here proposed have turned out to be extended versions of papers presented at THERMINIC 2019, which was one of the 2019 stages of choice for presenting outstanding contributions on thermal and electro-thermal simulation of electronic systems. The papers proposed to the thermal community in this book deal with modeling and simulation of state-of-the-art applications which are highly critical from the thermal point of view, and around which there is great research activity in both industry and academia. In particular, contributions are proposed on the multi-physics simulation of families of electronic packages, multi-physics advanced modeling in power electronics, multiphysics modeling and simulation of LEDs, batteries and other micro and nano-structures.

The series Texts and Monographs in Theoretical Physics collects advanced texts on selected topics from the broad and varied field of Theoretical Physics. The works in the series will enable the readers to get a deep understanding of current topics in Theoretical Physics, with a special emphasis on recent developments. They are aimed at advanced students and researchers in theoretical and mathematical physics, and can also serve as secondary reading for lectures and seminars at post-graduate levels.

Transport Phenomena in Micro- and Nanoscale Functional Materials and Devices offers a pragmatic view on transport phenomena for micro- and nanoscale materials and devices, both as a research tool and as a means to implant new functions in materials. Chapters emphasize transport properties (TP) as a research tool at the micro/nano level and give an experimental view on underlying techniques. The relevance of TP is highlighted through the interplay between a micro/nanocarrier's characteristics and media characteristics: long/short-range order and disorder excitations, couplings, and in energy conversions. Later sections contain case studies on the role of transport properties in functional nanomaterials. This includes transport in thin films and nanostructures, from nanogranular films, to graphene and 2D semiconductors and spintronics, and from read heads, MRAMs and sensors, to nano-oscillators and energy conversion, from figures of merit, micro-coolers and micro-heaters, to spincaloritronics. Presents a pragmatic description of electrical transport phenomena in micro- and nanoscale materials and devices from an experimental viewpoint Provides an in-depth overview of the experimental techniques available to measure transport phenomena in micro- and nanoscale materials Features case studies to illustrate how each technique works Highlights emerging areas of interest in micro- and nanomaterial transport phenomena, including spintronics