Electron relaxation times and resistivity in metallic nanowires due to tilted grain boundary planes

TL;DR

This paper investigates how tilted grain boundaries affect electron relaxation times and resistivity in sub-10nm metallic nanowires, revealing that tilt can decrease resistivity and that standard approximation methods may fail.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed calculation of resistivity considering tilted grain boundaries using Boltzmann transport and Fermi's golden rule, highlighting limitations of standard approximation schemes.

Findings

Tilted grain boundaries can reduce nanowire resistivity.

Standard relaxation time approximations may be inaccurate for tilted boundaries.

Resistivity decreases with both uniform and random grain boundary tilts.

Abstract

We calculate the resistivity contribution of tilted grain boundaries with varying parameters in sub-10nm diameter metallic nanowires. The results have been obtained with the Boltzmann transport equation and Fermi's golden rule, retrieving correct state-dependent relaxation times. The standard approximation schemes for the relaxation times are shown to fail when grain boundary tilt is considered. Grain boundaries tilted under the same angle or randomly tilted induce a resistivity decrease.