NONDESTRUCTIVE INSTRUMENTATION FOR MEASURING THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY AND INTERFACE THERMAL RESISTANCE OF THIN FILMS

ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PROBLEMS IN DESIGNING MULTILAYER ELECTRONIC AND OPTICAL DEVICES IS PROPER THERMAL MODELING OF THE MICROSTRUCTURES. THIS IS DUE TO THE LACK OF DATA REGARDING THERMAL PROPERTIES OF THIN FILMS. A RESEARCH GROUP AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER HAS RECENTLYDEMONSTRATED THAT THE THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY OF THIN DIELECTRIC FILMS CAN BE DERIVED NONDESTRUCTIVELY. THIS TYPEOF MEASUREMENT CAN BE USED TO OPTIMIZE THE DESIGN OF DEVICESWHICH POSSESS LAYERED MICROSTRUCTURES, SUCH AS INTEGRATED CIRCUITS, DETECTORS, AND COATED LASER OPTICS. THE MEASUREMENT APPROACH EMPLOYED INVOLVES THE USE OF A THERMAL COMPARATOR APPARATUS. THE THERMAL COMPARATOR APPROACH IS MUCH SIMPLER CONCEPTUALLY THAN OTHER PREVIOUS ATTEMPTS WHICHINVOLVED LASER CALORIMETRY OR RADIOMETRY ON FREE-STANDING FILMS. UNFORTUNATELY, INADEQUATE INSTRUMENTATION IS ALL THAT IS AVAILABLE WITH WHICH TO MAKE THE DESIRED MEASUREMENTS. THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DESIGN AND BUILD A THERMAL COMPARATOR SPECIFICALLY FOR USE ON THIN FILMS. THE EVALUATION OF THE COMPARATOR WILL BE MADE BY OUR ACADEMIC PARTNERS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER.