Phonon Dynamics at Surfaces and Interfaces and Its Implications in Energy Transport in Nanostructured Materials—an Opinion Paper

Nanoscale thermal transport has attracted considerable attention because of both fundamental scientific interest and important engineering applications. For semiconductors and insulators, energy transport is dominated by phonons, whose behavior at surfaces and interfaces plays a significant role in energy transport processes. In this article, we present opinions on phonon dynamics at surfaces and interfaces and the implications on nanoscale thermal transport. The effects of roughness, bonding strength, coherence, and nanoscale constrictions are discussed. The existence of two specularity parameters at an interface (separate values for transmitted and reflected phonons) and the implications of phonon reflection at free surfaces to the thermal conductance of nearby interfaces are two concepts that have not been previously discussed in the literature. We provide some outlook and potential topics for future studies.