Thermal boundary resistance measurement and analysis across SiC/SiO2 interface

Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a typical material for third-generation semiconductors. The thermal boundary resistance (TBR) of the 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface was investigated by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. The structure of 4H-SiC/SiO2 was characterized by using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The TBR was found to be 8.11 × 10−8 m2K/W at 298 K by the 3ω method. Furthermore, the diffuse mismatch model was employed to predict the TBR of different interfaces, which is in good agreement with measurements. Heat transport behavior based on the phonon scattering perspective was also discussed to understand the variations of TBR across different interfaces. Besides, the intrinsic thermal conductivity of SiO2 thin films (200–1500 nm in thickness) on 4H-SiC substrates was measured by the 3ω procedure, to be 1.42 W/m K at 298 K. It is believed the presented results could provide useful insights into the thermal management and heat dissipation for SiC devices.Silicon Carbide (SiC) is a typical material for third-generation semiconductors. The thermal boundary resistance (TBR) of the 4H-SiC/SiO2 interface was investigated by both experimental measurements and theoretical calculations. The structure of 4H-SiC/SiO2 was characterized by using transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The TBR was found to be 8.11 × 10−8 m2K/W at 298 K by the 3ω method. Furthermore, the diffuse mismatch model was employed to predict the TBR of different interfaces, which is in good agreement with measurements. Heat transport behavior based on the phonon scattering perspective was also discussed to understand the variations of TBR across different interfaces. Besides, the intrinsic thermal conductivity of SiO2 thin films (200–1500 nm in thickness) on 4H-SiC substrates was measured by the 3ω procedure, to be 1.42 W/m K at 298 K. It is believed the presented results could provide useful insights into the thermal management and heat dissipation for SiC devices.