Thermal Sensor10

A THREE DIMENSIONAL THERMAL SENSOR BASED ON SINGLE-WALLED CARBON
NANOTUBES
S. Selvarasah1,*, C.-L. Chen1, S.-H. Chao1, P. Makaram2, A. Busnaina2, and M. R. Dokmeci1
1
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, NSF-NSEC for High Rate Nanomanufacturing,
Northeastern University, Boston, USA
(Tel: 1-617-373-3518, E-mail: sselvara@ece.neu.edu)
2
Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, NSF-NSEC for High Rate Nanomanufacturing,
Northeastern University, Boston, USA
Abstract: We present a novel three-dimensional thermal sensor based on Single-Walled Carbon
Nanotubes (SWNTs) utilizing dielectrophoretic (DEP) assembly. The sensor is fabricated using a hybrid
assembly technique combining top down (fabrication of the microplatform) and bottom up (DEP
assembly) approaches. Encapsulating the structure with a thin (1m) parylene layer protects it from the
environment and also improves the contact resistance. Both single and multi finger assembly electrode
structures have been utilized to manufacture the 3D thermal sensor and its thermal sensitivity is measured
with a heated chuck. The resistances of the structures decrease more than 10% across a temperature
range from 25C to 65C. The temperature coefficient of resistance for the SWNT-based thermal sensor
is measured and ranged from -0.154 to -0.24% for the single electrode device and varied from -0.3 to 0.57% for the multielectrode device.
Keyword: Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes, Dielectrophoretic Assembly, Thermal sensor, Nanoscale
integration
1. INTRODUCTION
Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) may serve as the
potential building blocks for the next generation of
electronic devices due to their attractive properties.
For instance, they are compact, lightweight and
have excellent electrical, mechanical and thermal
properties. First discovered by S. Iijima in 1991
[1], CNTs have been used in sensing applications
including gas sensors [2], pressure sensors [3], and
thermal sensors [4-5]. Most efforts up to now
utilized Multi Walled Carbon Nanotubes
(MWNTs). Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes
(SWNTs) are smaller, yet have very similar
attractive properties as the MWNTs. SWNTs with
high surface to volume ratio will be more sensitive
to the environment than their MWNT counterparts.
Finally, all of the thermal sensors fabricated up to
now are fabricated on planar two-dimensional (2D)
surfaces.
Controlling the placement of CNTs in a precise
manner had been difficult due to their small size
and natural tendency to cling together [1]. Atomic
force microscopy (AFM) is typically used to
manipulate individual CNTs [6]. However, this is

a time-consuming process and not compatible with
high rate nanomanufacturing. In our approach, we
have used Dielectrophoretic (DEP) assembly to
manipulate SWNTs on to the proper areas for
nanoscale integration. DEP assembly is low-cost,
versatile, low temperature (23C) and compatible
with batch fabrication.
In this paper, a novel SWNT-based threedimensional (3D) thermal sensor fabricated using
Dielectrophoretic assembly technique is reported.
2. DIELECTROPHORETIC ASSEMBLY
2.1 Background information and theory
The approaches for controlled manipulation of
nanoparticles include template-directed synthesis,
atomic and scanning force microscopy and
nanorobotic manipulations. But, these methods
have low throughput and are not suitable for the
production environment. DEP, coined by H. A.
Pohl [7], refers to the force exerted on the induced
dipole moment of small nanomaterials suspended
in insulating dielectric liquids by a nonuniform

AC or DC electric field.
The direction of the DEP force depends on the
electrical properties of both the nanomaterials and
the suspending medium, which is given in Eqns.
(1) and (2) for the case of AC signals [8]:
FDEP (t ) = 2ab 2 m Re(K ) Erms
*p m*
K=
3[ m* + ( *p m* )L// ]
potential and the electric field will rearrange,

accordingly. Furthermore, as seen in Fig.1, we
notice that the SWNTs will experience a force
(1)
(2)
where Erms is the electrical field, a and b are the

length and radius of the nanomaterials, and m and
p represent permittivity of the nanomaterials and
the medium, respectively. K, Clausius-Mosotti
factor, shows the interrelationship between the
frequency-dependent
properties
of
the
nanomaterials and the medium. When Re(K) is
greater than 0, the assembly process is achieved
through a positive dielectrophoretic force (PDEP)
otherwise it is achieved through a negative
dielectrophoretic force (NDEP).
For PDEP
assembly, nanomaterials are attracted to regions
where the electric field strength is highest.
Alternately,
for
NDEP
assembly,
the
nanomaterials are attracted to the regions of
lowest field strength. In this paper, we used a
frequency of 10MHz [9], and utilized PDEP force
to incorporate SWNTs onto the 3D electrodes.
2.2 Electrode design
We have designed and fabricated our 3D
electrodes so that the two metal electrodes are
separated by a thin parylene layer in a vertical
architecture allowing high density integration.
Parylene, deposited at room temperature, is a pinhole free, conformal and an insulating film. While
fabricating the 3D assembly platform, a thin
Parylene layer is used as a dielectric layer due to
its excellent insulating properties such as high
resistivity (6 1016-cm) and high breakdown
voltage (300V/m).
2.3 Electric field distribution analysis
Numerical analysis (FEMLAB) of the electric
potential and the electric field distribution of the
3D DEP assembly process of SWNTs is shown in
Fig.1. In the presence of SWNTs, both the electric
Fig.1: Finite Element analysis of the DEP

assembly of SWNTs
from the edge of the top electrode for PDEP, as

shown with an arrow.
Additionally, the
simulations suggest that after the DEP assembly,
the SWNTs will align between the top and the
bottom electrodes along the field lines.
3. FABRICATION
The fabrication process starts by growing a 1m

thick isolation oxide layer on a 3 silicon wafer. A
Cr/Au layer (200/1500) is then deposited and
patterned to serve as the first metal electrode by a
liftoff process. A thin parylene-C dielectric layer
is then deposited at room temperature. Next, the
second metal layer (Cr/Au 200/1500) is
deposited and patterned using lift-off technique.
These two metal layers form the 3-dimensional
electrodes for assembling the SWNTs. Utilizing
the second metal layer as a mask, we then etch the
parylene-C layer with an inductively coupled
plasma (ICP) reactor using O2 gas. Finally, a thin
layer of parylene-C (1.0m) is deposited as the
encapsulation layer and the contacts are opened
using the ICP tool for measurement purposes.
Two set of assembly structures, including single
and multi finger electrodes are designed and
fabricated as shown in Fig.2.
4. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
4.1 Assembly and I-V measurement

Commercially available SWNTs suspended in
Fig.2: Optical pictures of the assembly

electrodes. Inset shows the SEM micrograph
an aqueous solution are used as the active layer for
the thermal sensor. The average diameter of the
SWNTs is between 2-5nm and the average length
varied from 3-5m. The DEP assembly is
achieved by applying 10V and 5V peak-to-peak
AC voltage at a constant frequency of 10MHz. A
5 l solution of ammonium hydroxide is added
into the CNT solution to improve the conductivity
of the SWNTs. Prior to the assembly process,
SWNTs solution is ultrasonicated for 5 minutes to
ensure that the suspended CNTs are well
dispersed. After the AC voltage is applied to the
assembly electrodes, a droplet (2-3l) of the
SWNT solution is dispensed on top of the
assembly area.
Following 30 seconds of
assembly, the sample is blow-dried and the power
is turned off resulting in an assembled vertical
nanotube bridge between the electrodes.
Fig.3 and Fig.4 show the SEM micrographs of

the 3D assembled SWNT bundles connecting top
Fig.3: SEM micrograph of the thermal sensor

assembled with 10V pp before encapsulation
and bottom electrodes.

The density of the
assembled bundles can be controlled by varying
the electric field. By reducing the assembly
voltage, we were able to assemble less dense
SWNT bundles as seen in Fig.4. Following the
assembly, I-V measurements are conducted to
ensure the connectivity between the electrodes.
Fig.5 illustrates the I-V measurement taken from a
sample single electrode device before and after
encapsulation. Encapsulation of the SWNT sensor
Fig.4: SEM micrograph of the thermal sensor

assembled with 5V pp before encapsulation
973.17ohm
1216.67ohm
Fig.5 Measured I-V curve of SWNT bridge

from single-finger electrode
improves the two-terminal resistance and also
protects it from the environment.
4.2 Thermal sensitivity of SWNTs

To investigate the effect of temperature on
SWNTs, we have placed the 3D thermal sensor on
a SUSS PM5 analytical probe system (with a
heatable chuck) as seen in Fig.6 and the change in
resistance is measured. The temperature is varied
from 25C to 65C with 10C increments. Fig.7
and Fig.8 display the measured temperature
response from the single and multifinger thermal
sensors. As reported by H.-L. Nguyen [10],
SWNTs are sensitive to temperature and their
Fig.6: Device under test
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
The authors would like to thank the support by

Air Force Research laboratory, Hanscom, MA,
contract # FA8718-06-C-0045 and the National
Science Foundation (Award NER-0608892).
REFERENCES
Fig.7: Measured resistance vs temperature from

a single finger electrode sensor
Fig.8: Measured resistance vs temperature

from a multi finger electrode sensor
resistance drops with increasing temperature. As

the temperature is increased from 25C to 65C,
the resistance values in both cases drop more than
10%. The calculated TCR value from the single
electrode device varied from -0.154 to -0.24%,
whereas the TCR of the multielectrode sensor
varied from -0.3 to -0.57%. Comparing our data
with the previously reported 2D thermal sensors
made of MWNTs [4-5], we were able to achieve
higher (2x) sensitivity.
5. CONCLUSIONS
Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes are utilized as

the active layer of a thermal sensor. Utilizing
dielectrophoretic assembly, the SWNT sensor was
created in a 3D architecture. The calculated TCR
value from the single electrode device varied from
-0.154 to -0.24%, whereas the TCR of the
multielectrode sensor varied from -0.3 to -0.57%.
The obtained sensitivity values are twice that of
those measured from MWNT sensors.
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Carbon, Nature, vol. 354, pp. 56-58, 1991
[2] J. Kong, Nanotube Molecular Wires as
Chemical Sensors, Science, vol. 287, no. 5453, pp.
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[3] C. K. M. Fung, Fabrication of CNT-Based
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[4] C. K. M. Fung, Dielectrophoretic Batch
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[5] C. K. M. Fung, Towards Batch Fabrication of
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[8] K. W. C. Lai, Development of an Automated
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Influences of AC Electric field on the Spatial
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A THREE DIMENSIONAL THERMAL SENSOR BASED ON SINGLE-WALLED CARBON

manipulate individual CNTs [6]. However, this is

in insulating dielectric liquids by a nonuniform

FDEP (t ) = 2ab 2 m Re(K ) Erms

potential and the electric field will rearrange,

where Erms is the electrical field, a and b are the

Fig.1: Finite Element analysis of the DEP

from the edge of the top electrode for PDEP, as

The fabrication process starts by growing a 1m

4.1 Assembly and I-V measurement

Fig.2: Optical pictures of the assembly

Fig.3 and Fig.4 show the SEM micrographs of

Fig.3: SEM micrograph of the thermal sensor

and bottom electrodes.

Fig.4: SEM micrograph of the thermal sensor

Fig.5 Measured I-V curve of SWNT bridge

4.2 Thermal sensitivity of SWNTs

Fig.6: Device under test

The authors would like to thank the support by

Fig.7: Measured resistance vs temperature from

Fig.8: Measured resistance vs temperature

resistance drops with increasing temperature. As

Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes are utilized as

[1] S. Iijima, Helical Microtubules of Graphitic

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