Loading…

Electrodeposited Submicron Thermocouples with Microsecond Response Times

We describe a procedure for preparing submicron scale silver−nickel thermocouples (TCs) using electrochemical step edge decoration on graphite surfaces. Each fabrication operation produced ensembles of 2−20 TCs with diameters in the 1.0 μm to 500 nm range. These “sub-μm TCs” (SMTCs) produced linear...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Nano letters 2007-10, Vol.7 (10), p.3208-3213
Main Authors: Bourg, M. E, van der Veer, W. E, Grüell, A. G, Penner, R. M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:We describe a procedure for preparing submicron scale silver−nickel thermocouples (TCs) using electrochemical step edge decoration on graphite surfaces. Each fabrication operation produced ensembles of 2−20 TCs with diameters in the 1.0 μm to 500 nm range. These “sub-μm TCs” (SMTCs) produced linear voltage versus temperature output over the range from 20 to 100 °C characterized by a Seebeck coefficient of 20 ± 1 μV/°C, equal to the 21 μV/°C that is theoretically expected for a junction between these two metals. The time response of SMTCs was evaluated using two different laser-heating methods and compared with the smallest mechanically robust commercially available type J TCs. Electrochemical etching of the silver wire introduced constrictions at grain boundaries that reduced the thermal mass of the junction without altering its integrity or its overall diameter, producing a decrease of the measured rise time for SMTCs up to 96%.
ISSN:1530-6984
1530-6992
DOI:10.1021/nl071990q