Non-Destructive Nanoscale Resolution using a Carbon Nanotube Scanning Thermal Probe
Lead Research Organisation:
Lancaster University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Publications
Nazarenko M
(2017)
A simplified model to estimate thermal resistance between carbon nanotube and sample in scanning thermal microscopy
in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Briggs
(2009)
Acoustic Microscopy: Second Edition
Briggs Andrew
(2009)
Acoustic Microscopy: Second Edition
Kolosov O
(2013)
Acoustic Scanning Probe Microscopy
Trabelsi AB
(2014)
Charged nano-domes and bubbles in epitaxial graphene.
in Nanotechnology
Robinson B
(2019)
Correlation of shear forces and heat conductance in nanoscale junctions
in Physical Review B
Pumarol ME
(2012)
Direct nanoscale imaging of ballistic and diffusive thermal transport in graphene nanostructures.
in Nano letters
Gehring P
(2017)
Field-Effect Control of Graphene-Fullerene Thermoelectric Nanodevices.
in Nano letters
Kamarudin M
(2010)
GaSb quantum dot morphology for different growth temperatures and the dissolution effect of the GaAs capping layer
in Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics
Zhuang QD
(2014)
Graphitic platform for self-catalysed InAs nanowires growth by molecular beam epitaxy.
in Nanoscale research letters
Robson AJ
(2013)
High-accuracy analysis of nanoscale semiconductor layers using beam-exit ar-ion polishing and scanning probe microscopy.
in ACS applied materials & interfaces
Spiece J
(2018)
Improving accuracy of nanothermal measurements via spatially distributed scanning thermal microscope probes
in Journal of Applied Physics
Tovee PD
(2013)
Mapping nanoscale thermal transfer in-liquid environment-immersion scanning thermal microscopy.
in Nanotechnology
Kolosov O
(2011)
Material sensitive scanning probe microscopy of subsurface semiconductor nanostructures via beam exit Ar ion polishing
in Nanotechnology
Oleg Kolosov (Author)
(2011)
Method and apparatus for ion beam polishing
Robinson B
(2014)
Nanomechanical mapping of graphene layers and interfaces in suspended graphene nanostructures grown via carbon diffusion
in Thin Solid Films
Robinson BJ
(2013)
Nanoscale interfacial interactions of graphene with polar and nonpolar liquids.
in Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids
Rivas M
(2015)
Nanoscale mapping of in situ actuating microelectromechanical systems with AFM
in Journal of Materials Research
Tovee PD
(2014)
Nanoscale resolution scanning thermal microscopy using carbon nanotube tipped thermal probes.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Tovee P
(2012)
Nanoscale spatial resolution probes for scanning thermal microscopy of solid state materials
in Journal of Applied Physics
Evangeli C
(2019)
Nanoscale Thermal Transport in 2D Nanostructures from Cryogenic to Room Temperature
in Advanced Electronic Materials
Bosse J
(2014)
Nanothermal characterization of amorphous and crystalline phases in chalcogenide thin films with scanning thermal microscopy
in Journal of Applied Physics
Description | As at the onset of this project a very little was known on how such would operate and how to engineer it, we built a comprehensive multi-scale computational physical model of a probe operating in various environments. The immediate result of such study was a novel design of the thermal probe, not anticipated a priori, where multiwall CNT is attached to the side of a thermal sensor. Simultaneously, the modeling of SThM for the key materials used in semiconductor industry and nanotechnology such as Si, suggested that thermal resolution below 50 nm may not be beneficial, due to a large mean-free-path of thermal carriers, whereas an efficient and stable thermal contact between the probe apex and the sample is of a paramount importance. These findings prompted development of a dedicated nanofabricated thermal transport test samples, "staircases" of few atomic layer materials, new IP on nanoscale sections of heterostructures that is now being considered for commercial exloitation, and trenched substrates where thermally probed layered materials can be suspended. We built unique variable environment SThM setup operating from a high vacuum of 10-7 torr (ten billionth of the atmospheric pressure) to ambient air and even liquid environments, that also allowed independent monitoring of nanoscale tip-sample contact via nanomechanical measurements. Using this system, we for the first time mapped thermal conductivity of graphene (a relative to CNT in terms of material nature and thermal conductivity) and directly compared nanoscale diffusive and ballistic heat transfer regimes. We also, for the first time, were able to correlate thermal transport between the probe apex with contact area measured via nanomechanical tests, paving the way for novel quantitative approaches in nanoscale thermal measurements. Finally, the prototypes of CNT-SThM probes manufactured jointly with Durham University, according to the new design rules, indicated a notable improvement of a thermal contrast and lateral thermal resolution below 50 nm, as well as superior topography resolution, thus accomplishing a key objective of the current project. An unexpected benefit of this study was a development of a fully "immersed" SThM - iSThM. Such probe can significantly improve the thermal contact between the SThM tip and the sample, and its stability, but until our study, it was considered impossible due to perceived direct heat dissipation from the thermal sensor into the surrounding liquid, and degradation of lateral resolution. Notwithstanding, guided by our modeling, we tested such iSThM and successfully demonstrated nanoscale thermal mapping with 50 nm lateral resolution on the polymer-ceramic-metal Ultra Large Scale Integration interconnects. Such iSThM, would be of extreme interest for biotechnology, and functioning of nanoscale catalysts, to mention a few. |
Exploitation Route | The novel efficient nanoscale thermal microscopy methods will be of extremely wide use in the industrial laboratories and in teh production quality control environments. Novel approach to preparation of samples for nanoscale probe microscopy and scanning thermal microscopy is explored for exploitation via companies producing sample preparation equipment for SEM and related studies, as well via service companies and instrumentation companies. |
Sectors | Education,Electronics,Healthcare |
URL | http://www.nano-science.com |
Description | The finding were used in the EU FP7 project QUANTIHEAT where they have been applied to the study nanothermal properties of various industrial materials including semiconductor processing and compound semiconductors. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Electronics,Energy |
Impact Types | Economic |
Description | European Commission (EC) |
Amount | £38,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | FUNPROB |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 06/2011 |
End | 06/2015 |
Description | FP7 QUANTIHEAT |
Amount | € 586,000 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 604668 |
Organisation | European Commission |
Sector | Public |
Country | European Union (EU) |
Start | 12/2013 |
End | 11/2017 |
Company Name | Lancaster Materials Analysis |
Description | Services to the industry and implementation of IP based on Lancaster patent US9082587 |
Year Established | 2014 |
Impact | Demonstrated potential for replacing TEM and SEM methods by less expensive in the characterization of semiconductor and optoelectronic structures |
Website | http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/news/articles/2014/novel-materials-analysis-technique-promises-to-reduce-... |