Surface Phonon Scattering in the Electrical Resistivity on Co/Ni Superlattices

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Abstract
The effect of surface phonon scattering on the electrical resistivity has been observed in Co/Ni superlattices, with reproducible film microstructure, independent of the film thickness. The temperature-dependent part of the resistivity increases rapidly with decreasing film thickness for films thinner than the electronic mean free path. The resistivity shows a universal behavior well characterized by the Bloch-Grüneisen model. The deviation from the bulk resistivity can be explained by a reduced surface Debye temperature and additional surface phonon modes.