Measuring Thermal and Thermoelectric Properties of One-Dimensional Nanostructures Using a Microfabricated Device

Abstract

We have batch-fabricated a microdevice consisting of two adjacent symmetric silicon nitride membranes suspended by long silicon nitride beams for measuring thermophysical properties of one-dimensional nanostructures (nanotubes, nanowires, and nanobelts) bridging the two membranes. A platinum resistance heater/thermometer is fabricated on each membrane. One membrane can be Joule heated to cause heat conduction through the sample to the other membrane. Thermal conductance, electrical conductance, and Seebeck coefficient can be measured using this microdevice in the temperature range of 4-400 K of an evacuated Helium cryostat. Measurement sensitivity, errors, and uncertainty are discussed. Measurement results of a 148 nm and a 10 nm-diameter single wall carbon nanotube bundle are presented.

Highly sensitive thermal conductivity measurements of suspended membranes (SiN and diamond) using a 3ω-Völklein method

“…Since two decades, numerous static or dynamic methods have been developed to measure the thermal conductivity of new materials like 3ω [13][14][15], hot wire (Völklein method) [16,17], thermoreflectance [1,18] or steady state methods [19][20][21][22]. The need for precise measurement of very thin films or membranes imposes to work with suspended systems.…”

Thermal transport in phononic crystals and the observation of coherent phonon scattering at room temperature

“…3), where a sample is mounted between two thermally isolated islands. By increasing the temperature of one island relative to the other and measuring the applied power and resulting temperature difference, the k of the samples can be deduced [27][28][29] ( Supplementary Figs 2-4). Fabricated samples were attached to the suspended islands using a pick-and-place approach (Supplementary Figs 5-6).…”

Reducing the thermal conductivity of carbon nanotubes below the random isotope limit

“…Such nanostructured-disordered nanotubes could then be sus-pended and contacted, and their thermal conductivity could be measured using direct methods 19,20 . Our calculations show that the effects should be clearly noticeable in nanotubes 3 micrometers long at low temperature.…”