Micromachined Devices for Combinatorial Materials Analysis

Parallel nano-Differential Scanning Calorimetry (Patrick McCluskey)

The parallel nano-differential scanning calorimeter (PnDSC) is a silicon-based micromachined device for calorimetric measurement of nanoscale materials in a high-throughput methodology. The device contans a 5x5 array of nano-calorimeters, each one of which consists of a silicon nitride membrane and tungsten heating element that also serves as a temperature guage. Films with a compositional gradient are deposited on the device and essentially discretized at each sensor, creating a sample library with 25 unique compositons, ready for calorimetric measurement. Measured materials properties include transformation temperatures, latent heats of transformation etc. The temperature calibration and sensitivity of the device have been demonstrated through the analysis of the melting transformation of a 25 nm indium thin film. The combinatorial capabilities of the device have been demonstrated through the measurement of crystallization and shape-memory transformations of Ni-Ti-Zr thin films with a 2D composition gradient.

Publications:

P.J. McCluskey, J.J. Vlassak, "Combinatorial nanocalorimetry", J. Mater. Res. 25(11), 2086-2100 (2010). (Download)

P.J. McCluskey, J.J. Vlassak, "Nano-thermal transport array: an instrument for combinatorial measurements of heat transfer in nanoscale films", Thin Solid Films 518(23), 7093-7106 (2010). (Download)

P. J. McCluskey, J.J. Vlassak, "Parallel nano-differential scanning calorimetry: a new device for combinatorial analysis of complex nano-scale material systems", Mater. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 924E, Z08-14(2006). (Download)

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Cantilever Beam Arrays (Jun-Hyun Han)

Combinatorial analysis employs state of the art techniques in a high-throughput fashion. The figure shows a micromachined device consisting of 49 cantilever beams (7x7). This multi-cantilever device exploits the ease of compositioin gradient creation typical of magnetron sputtering systems. The cantilever array essentially discretizes the gradient across the surface of the device at each micro-cantilever beam creating 49 samples of unique composition. The stress evolution as a function of time and temperature in each sample can be characterized simultaneously using a multi-beam laser curvature system with integrated heating stage.

Publication:

H.-J. Kim, J.-H. Han, R. Kaiser, K. H. Oh, J. J. Vlassak, "High-throughput analysis of thin-film stresses using arrays of micromachined cantilever beams", Rev. Sci. Instrum. 79(4), 045112 (2008). (Download)