Measurement of thermal conductivity in proton irradiated silicon

We investigate the influence of proton irradiation on thermal conductivity in single crystal silicon. We apply a laser based modulated thermoreflectance technique to measure the change in conductivity of the thin layer damaged by proton irradiation. Unlike time domain thermoreflectance techniques that require application of a metal film, we perform our spatial domain measurement on uncoated samples. This provides greater sensitivity to the change in conductivity of the thin damaged layer. Using sample temperature as a parameter provides a means to deduce the primary defect structures that limit thermal transport. We find that under high temperature irradiation the degradation of thermal conductivity is caused primarily by extended defects.