Researchers at ICN2 have explored the use of 2D materials, in particular hexagonal boron nitride, to help reduce excess heat in electronic and photonic chip components. Their results could play an important role in the development of future nanodevices.
Managing the heat produced by device components is becoming more difficult as they become smaller and more efficient. This can lead to heat that does not spread uniformly but accumulates in certain nanoscale areas. This can affect device performance and cause failure. One promising method for solving this problem is the use of ultrathin (2D) materials as coatings. Among them, hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) is a particularly good option due to its excellent thermal, electrical, and optical properties.
Now, a team of researchers from the ICN2 Ultrafast Dynamics in Nanoscale Systems Group and Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e), led by Prof. Klaas-Jan Tielrooij, experimentally evaluated the cooling properties of hBN flakes. Their study, that has been published in the journal Nano Letters, shows that coating microchip components (specifically, gold nanostrips) with hBN can enhance heat dissipation and reduce the temperature increase up to 40%.
The team also tried this approach on other structures, including hexagonal silicon–germanium (SiGe) nanowires, which are already considered promising for photonics. The results showed that their operating temperature under optical excitation was also reduced significantly, showing an efficient heat transfer.
This work is a result of the ERC Proof of Concept project 'COOLGRAELE’ awarded to Prof. Tielrooij in 2022. The findings suggest promising strategies for thermal management in the nanoscale based on ultrathin materials.
Reference article:
Liu, B; Farina, R; Świniarski, M; Kwapiński, W; De La Bastida Chiza, RO; van Tilburg, M; Jansen, MM; Watanabe, K; Taniguchi, T; Bakkers, EPAM; Haverkort, JEM; Tielrooij, KJ. Hexagonal Boron Nitride for Nanoscale Heat Dissipation in Electronic and Photonic Chips. Nano Letters. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c05376