Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-2dmjx Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-07T22:33:45.838Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Platform for in-plane ZT measurement and Hall coefficient determination of thin films in a temperature range from 120 K up to 450 K

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 October 2016

Vincent Linseis*
Affiliation:
Institute of Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20355, Germany
Friedemann Völklein
Affiliation:
Institute for Microtechnologies, RheinMain University of Applied Sciences Wiesbaden, Ruesselsheim 65428, Germany
Heiko Reith
Affiliation:
Institute of Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20355, Germany; and Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden, Dresden 01171, Germany
Peter Woias
Affiliation:
Department of Microsystems Engineering–IMTEK, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79110, Germany
Kornelius Nielsch
Affiliation:
Institute of Nanostructure and Solid State Physics, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg 20355, Germany; and Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW) Dresden, Dresden 01171, Germany
*
a) Address all correspondence to this author. e-mail: vlinseis@physnet.uni-hamburg.de

Abstract

The characterization of nanostructured samples with at least one restricted dimension like thin films or nanowires is challenging but important to understand their structure and transport mechanism and to improve current industrial products and production processes. We report on the development of a chip-based platform to simultaneously measure the in-plane electrical and thermal conductivity, the Seebeck coefficient as well as the Hall constant of a thin film in the temperature range from 120 K up to 450 K and in a magnetic field of up to 1 T. Due to the design of the setup, time consuming preparation steps can be omitted and a nearly simultaneous measurement of the sample properties is achieved. Typical errors caused by different sample compositions, varying sample geometries, and different heat profiles are avoided with the presented measurement method. As a showcase study displaying the validity and accuracy of our system, we present measurements of the thermoelectric properties of a 110 nm Bi87Sb13 thin film in the temperature range from 120 K up to 450 K.

Information

Type
Invited Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2016 
Figure 0

FIG. 1. (a) Front view of chip with window structure for the thermal conductivity measurement, Hall-bar structure and organic deposition mask. (b) Back side of the chip with the two membrane setup, including heating stripes. (c) ZT-Chip with deposited sample.

Figure 1

FIG. 2. (a) Temperature and magnetic field treatment of the sample (b) sample holder with spring pin contacts and measurement chip inserted.

Figure 2

FIG. 3. Flow chart for the production of the ZT-chips.

Figure 3

FIG. 4. Routine for sample preparation and measurement.

Figure 4

FIG. 5. (a) Temperature distribution of the heated two membrane setup including thin film Au surrounding for geometry definition (b) temperature distribution along the x-axis of the chip, showing the peak temperature of the two heaters and a negligible temperature rise of the Au rim.

Figure 5

FIG. 6. (a) Schematic back side view of the chip, showing the hot stripe setup with the two membranes. (b) Schematic cross sectional view and measurement setup of chip on sample holder.

Figure 6

FIG. 7. Front side of the measurement chip with deposited sample.

Figure 7

FIG. 8. Seebeck measurement setup with a resistance thermometer at each side (details of one side).

Figure 8

FIG. 9. Comparison of the electrical (a) and thermal (b) conductivity as well as the Seebeck coefficient (c) of Bi87Sb13 thin films measured by Völklein et al.28,29 with this work as well as the resulting ZT value (d) in the temperature range between 120 K and 450 K.

Figure 9

FIG. 10. Reproducibility of the electrical (a) and thermal (b) conductivity measurements of a 110 nm Bi87Sb13 thin film in the temperature range between 120 K and 450 K.

Figure 10

FIG. 11. Hall coefficient of a 110 nm Bi87Sb13 thin film in the temperature range between 120 K and 450 K.