Emissivity and Optical Properties of Thin-film Metallic Glass in the Thermal Infrared Region

2024/1/30

This study is the first paper displaying the emissivities and optical properties of thin-film metallic glasses in the thermal infrared (IR) region. We found that the amorphous structure of the metallic glass hindered the movement of electrons, leading to unique optical properties in the thermal IR region. Measurements of the optical constants of NiNb thin-film metallic glasses revealed that a high processing pressure and sputtering power yielded high optical conductivity and a low damping constant. Adjusting the parameters of the sputtering processes allowed us to fabricate thin-film metallic glasses with a range of damping constants and change the reflectance and emissivity. Applying optical thin film theory, we could modulate the emissivity of thin-film metallic glass in the thermal IR region. The measured emissivity of the thin-film metallic glass was significantly enhanced when compared with that of a Si substrate or metal film. Furthermore, the cooling ability of the optimal metallic glass was much higher than that of Si and metal films. Our findings reveal that metallic glass films can display thermal radiative properties superior to those of metals and semiconductors, making them promising materials for use in electronic devices with excellent mechanical characteristics and heat dissipation properties.

 

Showcasing research from Professor Hsuen-Li Chen’s laboratory, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, National Taiwan University, Taipei, Taiwan.

 

This study investigates the emissivity and optical properties of thin-film metallic glass, which combines the properties of metal and glass in the thermal infrared (IR) region. The metallic glass films can display thermal radiative properties superior to metals and semiconductors, making them promising materials for electronic devices with excellent mechanical characteristics and heat dissipation properties.

This study has been published and highlighted on the Inside Cover of Advanced Optical Materials. The team would like to acknowledge and appreciate the financial support from the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), the Higher Education Sprout Program at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and the Center of Atomic Initiative for New Materials National Taiwan University, Taiwan.

 

Contact: Prof. Hsuen-Li Chen
hsuenlichen@ntu.edu.tw

 

More information:

C. C. Lai, T. C. Hsiao, W. H. Wang, S. W. Chang, and H. L Chen*, “Emissivity and Optical Properties of Thin-film Metallic Glass in the Thermal Infrared Region,” Advanced Optical Materials, (2023), 11, 2301517 (highlighted on the Journal Inside Cover).

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adom.202301517?af=R