SGER: Experimental Investigation Into the Thermal Transport in Individual Carbon Nanotubes Along the Atomic Layer Direction

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The unique structure and dimension of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) lead to novel physical properties that promote a wide variety of potential applications such as high-performance field-effect nanotransistors, novel tips for scanning probe microscopes, and high-efficiency nanotube-based field-emission devices. The objectives of this one-year SGER project are to: (1) conduct exploratory experimental investigation into the high thermal conductivity of CNTs along the atomic layer in the axial direction, and (2) explore the thermal contact resistance between CNTs and the substrate. The proposed project is considered high risk because the unknown thermal conductivity of CNTs and the thermal contact resistance between CNTs and the substrate could be unusually highly to make the proposed technique unable to sense the thermal transport in CNTs with high accuracy. The project will provide important guidance on nanoscale manipulation of CNTs, leading to greater control of thermal transport at the nanometer level. The knowledge that will result from this project will also advance the step toward optimizing the thermal management of CNT devices and systems, thus improving system performance and prolonging device lifetime. Our quantitative investigation into the thermal contact resistance between CNTs and the substrate is a first and important step towards the thermal design of joints between CNTs and micro/nanodevices to achieve desired system performance and stability.