Using Amorphous CoB Alloy as Transducer to Detect Acoustic Propagation and Heat Transport at Interface

• Main Authors: Liu Jian, Gyung-Min Choi
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Applied Sciences
• Subjects: acoustic wave; picosecond acoustics; interfacial layer; thermal conductance
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3417/11/11/5155

Acoustic oscillation provides useful information regarding the interfacial coupling between metal transducer layers and substrate materials. The interfacial coupling can be significantly reduced by a mechanically soft layer between the transducer and substrate. However, preserving a thin, soft layer at the interface during fabrication is often challenging. In this study, we demonstrate that an amorphous CoB alloy on top of a sapphire substrate can substantially amplify acoustic oscillations. By analyzing the attenuation of acoustic oscillations, we show that a thin, soft layer with a thickness of >2 ± 1 Å exists at the interface. The intermediate layer at the interface is further verified by investigating heat transport. By analyzing the slow decrease of the temperature of the transducer layer, we determine a thermal conductance of 35 ± 5 MW m⁻² K⁻¹ at the transducer/substrate interface. This low value supports the existence of a thin, soft layer at the interface. Our results demonstrate that an amorphous metal with B alloying effectively preserves the soft nature at the interface and detects the acoustic propagation and heat transport across it.