MIT researchers unveil X-ray laser heat mapping method

MIT researchers have demonstrated a new X-ray and laser-based method to study heat flow in multilayer materials, with potential applications for electronics and chip design.

• The team used ultrafast X-rays and laser pulses to measure heat transfer in a gallium nitride on silicon device, identifying a single micron-scale defect that caused a fourfold reduction in heat transfer at that spot.
• The work was published in Nature Communications and includes researchers from MIT, University of Texas at Austin, and Argonne National Laboratory; it was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation, and the MIT School of Engineering Distinguished Energy Efficiency Fellowship.