How electrons and phonons promote heat transfer in material systems

NANOSCALE ELECTRONICS The increasing complexity and demands of modern electronics have resulted in a progressive reduction in the size of the transistors, as smaller transistors have higher processing speed, lower energy consumption, and they can be packed in larger numbers within smaller areas. A parallel reduction in interconnect sizes has however been far more difficult to achieve. As the wires are made thinner, their electrical conductivity decreases, and energy is dissipated in the form of heat, which can limit the performance, reliability, and efficiency of an integrated circuit. Improving the thermal properties of interconnects is therefore one of the central challenges in integrated electronics and for enabling the development of future alternative computing approaches based on nanotechnology, including spintronics (taking advantage of the natural magnetism of electrons, as well as their charge, to produce faster computers) and neuromorphic computing (a computing approach inspired by the structure and function of the human brain).