Quantitative Mapping of Nanothermal Transport via Scanning Thermal Microscopy

Description

The thesis tackles one of the most difficult problems of modern nanoscale science and technology - exploring what governs thermal phenomena at the nanoscale, how to measure the temperatures in devices just a few atoms across, and how to manage heat transport on these length scales. Nanoscale heat generated in microprocessor components of only a few tens of nanometres across cannot be effectively fed away, thus stalling the famous Moore's law of increasing computer speed, valid now for more than a decade. In this thesis, Jean Spièce develops a novel comprehensive experimental and analytical framework for high precision measurement of heat flows at the nanoscale using advanced scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) operating in ambient and vacuum environment, and reports the world’s first operation of cryogenic SThM. He applies the methodology described in the thesis to novel carbon-nanotube-based effective heat conductors, uncovers new phenomena of thermal transport in two- dimensional (2D) materials such as graphene and boron nitride, thereby discovering an entirely new paradigm of thermoelectric cooling and energy production using geometrical modification of 2D materials. Front Matter ....Pages i-xix Introduction (Jean Spièce)....Pages 1-9 Background Review (Jean Spièce)....Pages 11-31 SThM Experimental Models and Setups for Exploring Nanoscale Heat Transport (Jean Spièce)....Pages 33-62 Quantitative Thermal Transport Measurements in Nanostructures (Jean Spièce)....Pages 63-76 Three Dimensional Mapping of Thermal Properties (Jean Spièce)....Pages 77-99 Nanoscale Thermal Transport in Low Dimensional Materials (Jean Spièce)....Pages 101-118 Thermoelectric Phenomena in Graphene Constrictions (Jean Spièce)....Pages 119-133 Conclusion and Perspectives (Jean Spièce)....Pages 135-137 Back Matter ....Pages 139-153