Construction of Core-Shell Nanowire Arrays in a Cu-Cu2O Film Electrode for High Efficiency in Heat Dissipation.

Abstract

Thermal engineering dramatically impacts the efficiency of microelectronics, but the corresponding technology lags far behind the need. For energy-efficient thermal management, a Cu-Cu2O film with highly ordered core-shell nanowire arrays and a good self-protection property was successfully fabricated using the magnetron sputtering method. The dense arrangement of nanowires in the films enhances the electronic transport property (220 mΩ sq-1), while the modified stable Cu2O layer maintained its perfect heat dissipation property, along with long-term thermal stability. The core-shell and nanogaps structure imparted an anisotropic thermal conductivity, where the out-plane electronic thermal conductivity (321 ± 16 W m-1 K-1) was 33.6 times higher than the in-plane value. To study the role of anisotropic properties in heat dissipation, a boiling experiment and thermal simulation were undertaken. The Cu-Cu2O core-shell electrode was beneficial to elevate the heat transfer coefficient, which would cause a fast directional transport and reduction of interfacial superheating. We demonstrated that an advancement of microelectronics could be achieved by integrating Cu electrodes with an ordered architecture.