MoS2 phononic crystals for advanced thermal management

P Xiao and A El Sachat and EC Angel and RC Ng and G Nikoulis and J Kioseoglou and K Termentzidis and CMS Torres and M Sledzinska, SCIENCE ADVANCES, 10, eadm8825 (2024).

DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adm8825

Effective thermal management of electronic devices encounters substantial challenges owing to the notable power densities involved. Here, we propose layered MoS2 phononic crystals (PnCs) that can effectively reduce thermal conductivity (kappa) with relatively small disruption of electrical conductivity (sigma), offering a potential thermal management solution for nanoelectronics. These layered PnCs exhibit remarkable efficiency in reducing kappa, surpassing that of Si and SiC PnCs with similar periodicity by similar to 100-fold. Specifically, in suspended MoS2 PnCs, we measure an exceptionally low kappa down to 0.1 watts per meter kelvin, below the amorphous limit while preserving the crystalline structure. These findings are supported by molecular dynamics simulations that account for the film thickness, porosity, and temperature. We demonstrate the approach efficiency by fabricating suspended heat-routing structures that effectively confine and guide heat flow in prespecified directions. This study underpins the immense potential of layered materials as directional heat spreaders, thermal insulators, and active components for thermoelectric devices.

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