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Model ID: 31

Thin Film Resistance

In modeling of transport by diffusion or conduction in thin layers, we often encounter large differences in dimensions of the different subdomains in a model.

If the modeled structure is a so-called sandwich structure, we can replace the thinnest geometrical layers with a thin layer approximation, provided that the difference in thickness is very large.

This method can be used in many diffusive problems, such as heat and current conduction as well as molecular diffusion.

In this model, this technique is used to model a conductive media problem, where a thin film is located between two plates. The thin film approximation model is then compared with the full 3D model.

The figure shows a comparison between the exact solution of the problem using three conductive layers and the thin film approximation. An excellent agreement is obtained in the potential and current distribution despite the fact that the middle film in this study is relatively thick. The approximation becomes even more accurate as the film thickness between the upper and lower subdomain decreases.

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