A New Technique for the Measurement of Thermal Conductivity of Thin Films

AbstractSemiconducting â-Zn4Sb3and ZrNiSn-based half-heusler compound thin films were prepared by co-evaporation for the application of thermoelectric (TE) materials. High-purity solid zinc and antimony were evaporated by electron beam to grow the â-Zn4Sb3thin film while high-purity zirconium powder and nickel tin powders were evaporated by electron beam to grow the ZrNiSn-based half-heusler compound thin film. Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS) was used to analyze the composition of the thin films. The grown thin films were subjected to 5 MeV Si ions bombardments for generation of nanostructures in the films. We measured the thermal conductivity, Seebeck coefficient, and electrical conductivity of these two systems before and after 5 MeV Si ions beam bombardments. The two material systems have been identified as promising TE materials for the application of thermal-to-electrical energy conversion, but the efficiency still limits their applications. The electronic energy deposited due to ionization in the track of MeV ion beam can cause localized crystallization. The nanostructures produced by MeV ion beam can cause significant change in both the electrical and the thermal conductivity of thin films, thereby improving the efficiency. We used the 3ù-method measurement system to measure the cross-plane thermal conductivity ,the Van der Pauw measurement system to measure the cross-plane electrical conductivity, and the Seebeck-coefficient measurement system to measure the cross-plane Seebeck coefficient. The thermoelectric figures of merit of the two material systems were then derived by calculations using the measurement results. The MeV ion-beam bombardment was found to decrease the thermal conductivity of thin films and increase the efficiency of thermal-to-electrical energy conversion.

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A new technique for testing the impact load of thin films: the coating impact test

Metallurgical Coatings and Thin Films 1992 ◽

10.1016/b978-0-444-89900-2.50023-3 ◽

1992 ◽

pp. 102-107 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

O. Knotek ◽

B. Bosserhoff ◽

A. Schrey ◽

T. Leyendecker ◽

O. Lemmer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Impact Test ◽

Impact Load ◽

New Technique ◽

A New Technique ◽

The Impact

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Analysis of the lattice thermal conductivity of thin films by means of a modified Mayadas-Shatzkes model: The case of bismuth films

Thin Solid Films ◽

10.1016/0040-6090(86)90002-7 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 142 (2) ◽

pp. 169-181 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

F. Völklein ◽

E. Kessler

Keyword(s):

Thin Films ◽

Thermal Conductivity ◽

Lattice Thermal Conductivity ◽

Bismuth Films ◽

Conductivity Of Thin Films

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Mechanical deflection of cantilever microbeams: A new technique for testing the mechanical properties of thin films

Journal of Materials Research ◽

10.1557/jmr.1988.0931 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 3 (5) ◽

pp. 931-942 ◽

Cited By ~ 300

Author(s):

T. P. Weihs ◽

S. Hong ◽

J. C. Bravman ◽

W. D. Nix

Keyword(s):

Thin Film ◽

Thin Films ◽

Mechanical Properties ◽

Single Layer ◽

Beam Theory ◽

New Technique ◽

Young’S Moduli ◽

Silicon Micromachining ◽

A New Technique

The mechanical deflection of cantilever microbeams is presented as a new technique for testing the mechanical properties of thin films. Single-layer microbeams of Au and SiO2 have been fabricated using conventional silicon micromachining techniques. Typical thickness, width, and length dimensions of the beams are 1.0,20, and 30 μm, respectively. The beams are mechanically deflected by a Nanoindenter, a submicron indentation instrument that continuously monitors load and deflection. Using simple beam theory and the load-deflection data, the Young's moduli and the yield strengths of thin-film materials that comprise the beams are determined. The measured mechanical properties are compared to those obtained by indenting similar thin films supported by their substrate.

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