Surface matters: Huge reduction of heat conduction observed in flat silicon channels

Combining state-of-the-art realistic atomistic modelling and experiments, the paper describes how thermal conductivity of ultrathin silicon membranes is controlled to large extent by the structure and the chemical composition of their surface. A detailed understanding of the connections of fabrication and processing to structural and thermal properties of low-dimensional nanostructures is essential to design materials and devices for phononics, nanoscale thermal management, and thermoelectric applications.

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