Fabrication of a Nanoscale Electrical Thermometry Platform for 2D Materials
Faculty Mentor Information
David Estrada Elton Graugnard
Abstract
Nanoscale Electrical Thermometry is a technique for characterizing the thermal properties of 2D materials. Fabrication of a nanoscale electrical thermometry platform requires the use of nanoscale processing techniques, such as photolithography and electron beam lithography (EBL). Photolithography is the most common method to create patterns on thin films for integrated circuits and microelectromechanical systems. Using silicon as a semiconductor substrate, we are able to add a single layer of positive photoresist (such as poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA) and cover the resist with a photomask. By subsequent fixing and developing, the pattern in the resist layer can be transferred into the underlying substrate by etching or deposition processes. The resolution of patterns formed by photolithography is determined by the diffraction limit of light. Another form of lithography is called Electron Beam Lithography, which is a maskless technique that uses a fine beam of electrons to write a pattern directly into a resist. The control system called Nanometer Pattern Generation System (NPGS) is used to write the 2-D pattern as part of a scanning electron microscope. The resolution of EBL is determined by the size of the electron beam which can be as small as 10 nm. The use of these two forms of lithography to fabricate an electrical thermometry platform for 2D materials will be described.
Fabrication of a Nanoscale Electrical Thermometry Platform for 2D Materials
Nanoscale Electrical Thermometry is a technique for characterizing the thermal properties of 2D materials. Fabrication of a nanoscale electrical thermometry platform requires the use of nanoscale processing techniques, such as photolithography and electron beam lithography (EBL). Photolithography is the most common method to create patterns on thin films for integrated circuits and microelectromechanical systems. Using silicon as a semiconductor substrate, we are able to add a single layer of positive photoresist (such as poly(methyl methacrylate), PMMA) and cover the resist with a photomask. By subsequent fixing and developing, the pattern in the resist layer can be transferred into the underlying substrate by etching or deposition processes. The resolution of patterns formed by photolithography is determined by the diffraction limit of light. Another form of lithography is called Electron Beam Lithography, which is a maskless technique that uses a fine beam of electrons to write a pattern directly into a resist. The control system called Nanometer Pattern Generation System (NPGS) is used to write the 2-D pattern as part of a scanning electron microscope. The resolution of EBL is determined by the size of the electron beam which can be as small as 10 nm. The use of these two forms of lithography to fabricate an electrical thermometry platform for 2D materials will be described.