NSF Award
9960172
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I is aimed at developing a multi-dimensional Monte Carlo model to simulate micro-scale heat transfer in thin films. The proposed study will develop a multi-dimensional Monte Carlo model for the solution of the Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE) with the inclusion of all possible phonon scattering mechanisms and appropriate nonlinear dispersion relationships for frequency-dependent group velocity for phonon density of states. As part of the study, simulations will be performed for single crystal materials with known dispersion relationships. The model will be validated in part against available experimental data and in part against experiments conducted at the University of California at Berkeley (UCB) under a sub-contract. The Phase II study will extend the model to study single crystal superlattice structures and will focus on integrating the micro-scale models into an existing commercial software, CFD-ACE+, to enable simulation of heat transfer in microelectronic and MEMS devices.<br/><br/>The proposed study will result in a computational tool to aid in the design and fabrication of IC and MEMS devices that use thin films of dielectric and semiconductor materials. The simulation tool will enable the design of devices with optimal thermal performance (and increased reliability) and thus reduce potential device/system failures resulting from poor heat transfer.
