High thermal conductivity in cubic boron arsenide crystals.

Li, Sheng; Zheng, Qiye; Lv, Yinchuan; Liu, Xiaoyuan; Wang, Xiqu; Huang, Pinshane Y; Cahill, David G; Lv, Bing · Science · 2018

basic_science · Level V

Where this comes from

Abstract

The high density of heat generated in power electronics and optoelectronic devices is a critical bottleneck in their application. New materials with high thermal conductivity are needed to effectively dissipate heat and thereby enable enhanced performance of power controls, solid-state lighting, communication, and security systems. We report the experimental discovery of high thermal conductivity at room temperature in cubic boron arsenide (BAs) grown through a modified chemical vapor transport technique. The thermal conductivity of BAs, 1000 ± 90 watts per meter per kelvin meter-kelvin, is higher than that of silicon carbide by a factor of 3 and is surpassed only by diamond and the basal-plane value of graphite. This work shows that BAs represents a class of ultrahigh-thermal conductivity materials predicted by a recent theory, and that it may constitute a useful thermal management material for high-power density electronic devices.