Transient thermal reflectance and thermal imaging were used to examine heat transport through AlN thin films deposited on Si substrates. The effective thermal conductivity of thin-film AlN was found to be in the range of 2-7 W/mK, depending on the microstructure of the film. Experimental thermal imaging comparisons also indicate a 32% higher heat dissipation efficiency for AlN films compared with SiO2 films of similar thickness. (C) 2011 The Electrochemical Society. [DOI: 10.1149/1.3543896] All rights reserved.