Theoretical analysis of thermal conductivities of amorphous films based on thermal resistance network model

Abstract

Amorphous nanoscale thin films have attracted significant attention in advanced device research. We developed a thermal resistance network model to calculate the thermal conductivity of amorphous thin films and applied it to several materials, achieving results in agreement with the experimental data. Our theoretical model approaches the thermal transport in anisotropic disordered systems from a cluster-based perspective. While offering higher accuracy than other models, it also provides a simple physical picture to describe the anisotropic thermal conductivity behavior of amorphous thin films. The results are helpful for experimentally tuning the thermal conductivity of amorphous thin films and advancing the understanding of their thermal properties.