Phonon and electron transport through Ge₂Sb₂Te ₅ films and interfaces bounded by metals

While atomic vibrations dominate thermal conduction in the amorphous and face-centered cubic phases of Ge2Sb2Te5, electrons dominate in the hexagonal closed-packed (hcp) phase. Here we separate the electron and phonon contributions to the interface and volume thermal resistances for the three phases using time-domain thermoreflectance and electrical contact resistance measurements. Even when electrons dominate film-normal volume conduction (i.e., 70 for the hcp phase), their contribution to interface heat conduction is overwhelmed by phonons for high-quality interfaces with metallic TiN. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.