Thermal Models for Determining Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Boundary Conductance Using Pump-Probe Thermoreflectance Techniques

Abstract

Pump-probe transient thermoreflectance (TTR) techniques are powerful tools for measuring thermophysical properties of thin films, such as thermal conductivity, Λ, or thermal boundary conductance, G. TTR experimental setups rely on lock-in techniques to detect the response of the probe signal relative to the pump heating event. The temporal decays of the lock-in signal are then compared to thermal models to deduce the Λ and G in and across various materials. There are currently two thermal models that are used to relate the measured signals from the lock-in to the Λ and G in the sample of interest. In this work, the thermal models, their assumptions, and their ranges of applicability are compared. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are elucidated from the results of the thermophysical property measurements.