Geometry-Dependent Thermal Transport in Porous Silicon: A Computational Study of Pore Geometry and Porosity Effects

Othman  Soubai; Younes  Abouelhanoune; Mohammed  Taibi

doi:10.51646/jsesd.v14iSTR2E.1180

Authors

Othman Soubai LSA, EMAO, ENSAH Al-Hoceima, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, 93000 Tetouan, Morocco.
Younes Abouelhanoune LSA, EMAO, ENSAH Al-Hoceima, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, 93000 Tetouan, Morocco. https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3826-7096
Mohammed Taibi LSA, EMAO, ENSAH Al-Hoceima, Abdelmalek Essaadi University, 93000 Tetouan, Morocco.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51646/jsesd.v14iSTR2E.1180

Keywords:

Boltzmann transport equation; Thermal transport; Porous Silicon; Thermal management; Semiconductor

Abstract

This study investigates how pore geometry and porosity modulate the thermal conductivity and heat transfer characteristics of porous silicon. Leveraging OpenBTE—an open-source computational tool based on the Boltzmann Transport Equation (BTE)—the research analyzes three distinct pore geometries (circular, rectangular, and hexagonal) with porosity ranging from 5% to 45% in order to quantify their impact on phonon-mediated thermal transport. The results shown a clear dependence of thermal conductivity on pore shape and porosity. Rectangular pores showed the highest thermal conductivity, ranging from 64.4 W/(m·K) at 5% porosity to 26.7 W/(m·K) at 45%. Circular pores yielded intermediate thermal conductivity values, varying from 56.8 W/(m·K) at 5% to 9.5 W/(m·K) at 45%. Hexagonal pores show the lowest thermal conductivity, ranging from 54.6 W/(m·K) to 7.2 W/(m·K). These insights demonstrate the critical role of pore architecture in tailoring heat dissipation pathways, providing actionable guidelines for engineering optimized pore networks. Experimental results advance the understanding of structure-property relationships in porous materials, enabling precise control over thermal performance for applications in thermoelectric, microelectronics, and energy-efficient systems.

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