CICECO, Department of Ceramics and Glass Engineering, University of Aveiro, Aveiro 3810-193, Portugal.
Nat Commun. 2011 Aug 9;2:421. doi: 10.1038/ncomms1429.
Understanding resistive (or Joule) heating in fundamental nanoelectronic blocks, such as carbon nanotubes, remains a major challenge, particularly in regard to their structural and thermal variations during prolonged periods of electrical stress. Here we show real-time imaging of the associated effects of Joule heating in the channel of carbon nanotube interconnects. First, electrical contacts to nanotubes entirely filled with a sublimable material are made inside a transmission electron microscope. On exposure to a high current density, resistive hotspots are identified on (or near) the contact points. These later migrate and expand along the carbon nanotube, as indicated by the localized sublimation of the encapsulated material. Using the hotspot edges as markers, it is possible to estimate the internal temperature profiles of the nanotube. Simple and direct, our method provides remarkable spatial and temporal insights into the dynamics of resistive hotspots and millisecond-paced thermal variations occurring inside nanoscaled tubular interconnects.
理解电阻（或焦耳）加热在基本的纳米电子元件中的作用，如碳纳米管，仍然是一个主要挑战，特别是在长时间的电应力下它们的结构和热变化方面。在这里，我们展示了在碳纳米管互连线的通道中焦耳加热相关效应的实时成像。首先，在透射电子显微镜内，在完全填充可升华材料的纳米管中制作电接触。在暴露于高电流密度下，在（或靠近）接触点处识别出电阻热点。随着被包裹材料的局部升华，这些热点随后沿着碳纳米管迁移和扩展。使用热点边缘作为标记，可以估计纳米管的内部温度分布。我们的方法简单直接，为电阻热点的动力学和纳米级管状互连内部发生的毫秒级热变化提供了显著的空间和时间洞察力。
