Measuring the Kapitza Resistance between a Passivated Semiconductor and Liquid Helium

In this paper, we describe an experimental investigation into the effect of passivation layer thickness on heat dissipation between a quartz substrate and liquid helium. We have observed that by depositing SiN from 0 to 240 nm, the Kapitza resistance increases by 0.0365 m^2.K/W per nanometer more than for an unpassivated semiconductor. We hypothesize that this increase in Kapitza resistance represents an additional barrier to the cooling of semiconductor devices in liquid helium.