Photothermal deflection spectroscopy measurements of an anisotropic superlattice

The temperature field created by periodic heating of an anisotropic, N-layer system is considered. Anisotropic thermal conductivity, nonuniform internal heat generation, and interlayer thermal boundary resistance are all included in the model. The analytic expressions are applied to the photothermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS) method for thermal property measurement with emphasis on super-lattice systems. Computational results indicate the feasibility of determining the thermal properties of the superlattice layers, including the interlayer contact resistance. Calculated probe beam deflection are then analyzed to estimate the effective thermal properties of a superlattice. The results demonstrate the efficacy of PDS for nondestructive measurements of a superlattice structure.