Prediction of size effect on thermal conductivity of nanoscale metallic films

Incorporating both the scattering mechanisms of the rough film surfaces and the microscopic grain boundaries, we report on a realistic simulation of the in-plane thermal conductivity of nanoscale gold, copper and aluminum films on the basis of non-interacting electron and kinetic theory. The results are consistent with previous theoretical analyses and molecular dynamic simulations, as well as available experimental data. The thermal conductivity of metallic films is found to drop much below the bulk value, even showing dielectric effects. As with the size effect on the electrical conductivity of metallic films, the fine-grain structure has a greater effect on the thermal conductivity than the film surface properties. The influence of temperature on the thermal conductivity is also investigated.