Phonons with long mean free paths in a-Si and a-Ge

We investigated phonons with long mean free paths (MFPs) in amorphous Si (a-Si) and amorphous Ge (a-Ge). The thermal conductivity of a-Si and a-Ge thin films prepared by magnetron sputtering was found to depend on film thickness and deposition temperature. From the film thickness dependence, we conclude that phonons with MFPs longer than 100 nm contribute to heat transport in a-Si and a-Ge. Also, as deposition temperature was increased, phonons with MFPs ranging from 100 to 250 nm in a-Si and from 15 to 250 nm in a-Ge increased. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.