The role of conduction electrons in the formation of thermal boundary resistance of the metal-dielectric interface and resistivity of metal films, at low temperatures (Review Article)

Abstract

This review article is a discussion of the role played by conduction electrons in the formation of an effective acoustic transparency at the interface between narrow metal films and dielectric substrates with high thermal conductivity, within the framework of the acoustic mismatch between solids. We consider both steady and transient regimes of phonon radiation from metal films heated by electric current or short laser pulses, at low temperatures. We discuss in detail how the electron-phonon energy relaxation τe and the average exit time of the phonons from the films τes can be found using the experiment. A theoretical analysis of these problems is carried out using kinetic equations for the phonon and electron distribution functions. We examine the steady modes of relaxation and diffusion heat removal from the moving plane phase transition front in the film geometry. In most cases, we discuss the relationship between the theoretical results of the review authors and the existing experimental situation.