A thin silicon thermoelectric nanowire characterization platform (TNCP) equipped with nanoporous electrodes for electrical contact formation

[摘要] We report on the fabrication of a silicon platform for the thermoelectric and structural characterization of single nanowires, equipped with nanoporous electrodes. Controlled wafer thinning to a thickness of 160 μm results in platform chips, which can be inserted into Transmission Electron Microscopes (TEM) for the nanowire's structural composition analysis. Our fabrication approach comprises the Bosch process (ICP), and «dicing before grinding» techniques to achieve this small thickness. To study the idea of developing a "plug-and-measure" platform, we have developed a novel approach for selfadhesion between a contact electrode and a nanowire by nanoporous electrodes. Due to the increased surface-to-volume ratio and increased van-der-Walls forces nanowires stick firmly to the electrodes for a good thermal and electrical connection. This innovative technique does also avoids, in best case, separate steps for contact formation.

[发布机构] Laboratory for Design of Microsystems, Department of Microsystems Engineering, IMTEK, Freiburg, Germany^1;Laboratory for MEMS Applications, Department of Microsystems Engineering, IMTEK, Freiburg, Germany^2

[效力级别] 力学 [学科分类] 力学，机械学

[关键词] D. transmission electron microscopes (TEM);Electrical connection;Innovative techniques;Structural characterization;Structural composition;Surface-to-volume ratio;Thermoelectric nanowires;Van der Walls forces