Thermal Transport in Extremely Confined Metallic Nanostructures: TET Characterization

Abstract

In recent years, the continuous development of electronic chips and the increasing integration of devices have led to extensive research on the thermal properties of ultrathin metallic materials. In particular, accurate characterization of their thermal transport properties has become a research hotspot. In this paper, we review the characterization methods of metallic nanomaterials, focusing on the principles of the transient electrothermal (TET) technique and the differential TET technique. By using the differential TET technique, the thermal conductivity, electrical conductivity, and Lorenz number of extremely confined metallic nanostructures can be characterized with high measurement accuracy. At present, we are limited by the availability of existing coating machines that determine the thickness of the metal films, but this is not due to the measurement technology itself. If a material with a smaller diameter and lower thermal conductivity is used as the substrate, much thinner nanostructures can be characterized.

Perspectives on Energy Transport at the Micro/Nanoscale

“…These reviews are in great technical detail since the authors have tremendous experience and expertise in the topics under review. In the paper by Lin et al [18], the TET technique was reviewed thoroughly, especially about the differential TET concept. The TET technique measures 1D material's voltage/resistance change under step-current heating and can be used to measure thermal diffusivity, conductivity, and specific heat.…”