Enhancing Modulation of Thermal Conduction in Vanadium Dioxide Thin Film by Nanostructured Nanogaps

Sci Rep. 2017 Aug 2;7(1):7131. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-07466-4.

Abstract

Efficient thermal management at the nanoscale is important for reducing energy consumption and dissipation in electronic devices, lab-on-a-chip platforms and energy harvest/conversion systems. For many of these applications, it is much desired to have a solid-state structure that reversibly switches thermal conduction with high ON/OFF ratios and at high speed. Here we describe design and implementation of a novel, all-solid-state thermal switching device by nanostructured phase transformation, i.e., modulation of contact pressure and area between two poly-silicon surfaces activated by microstructural change of a vanadium dioxide (VO2) thin film. Our solid-state devices demonstrate large and reversible alteration of cross-plane thermal conductance as a function of temperature, achieving a conductance ratio of at least 2.5. Our new approach using nanostructured phase transformation provides new opportunities for applications that require advanced temperature and heat regulations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't