Thin metallic film layers are extensively used as the constituents of the micro-devices. The reliability of these devices, therefore, strongly depends on the thermal behavior of such film layers. Aluminum thin film layers are of particular interest in this respect. The lateral thermal conductivity of the aluminum film layers is measured, using the steady state electrical Joule heating and electrical resistance thermometry technique. Aluminum suspended microbridges of identical thicknesses (500 nm) and variable widths (16 to 18 μm) and/or lengths (200 to 500 μm) are fabricated, using conventional microfabrication processes. The lateral thermal conductivity of the 500 nm thick Aluminum film layer was found to be k = 174 ± 13 Wm−1 K−1, at room temperature (300 K).
Advanced thin-film growth technology has made it possible to arrange different materials at the atomic level and to fabricate thin-film structures (e.g., GMR) with strong quantum effects. GMR devices appear in two important areas of storage technology: GMR sensors for magnetic read heads, and Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM). The former is a well-established commercial technology, in which nanoscale thermal transport is related to reliability, through electrostatic discharge (ESD) events as well as performance. In MRAM, the nanoscale thermal transport limits device ultimate performance, but may also present an opportunity for assisted switching. The thermal transport properties of these thin periodic layers play an important role in design, performance and reliability of these devices, which are fundamentally different from their bulk counterparts [1,2].
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