Metallic single-walled, carbon nanotube temperature sensor with self heating

Abstract

A metallic single-walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) has been proposed as a highly sensitive temperature sensor with consideration of self-heating induced scattering. This sensor can be implemented to sense temperature spanning from 20º C to 400º C with high temperature coefficient of resistivity (TCR) ranging from 0.0035/ºC to 0.009/ ºC. Important aspect of this work is consideration of self-heating in SWCNT which was not considered in earlier carbon nanotube based temperature sensors. We have studied a metallic SWCNT over a silicon dioxide substrate and in between two metal contacts. Bias voltage of 0.1V has been applied in between these two contacts. For resistivity calculation, we have utilized one-dimensional semi-classical transport model assuming SWCNT is perfectly conducting. The heat flow equation has been solved assuming steady state flow of heat. We have also assumed that contact and substrate are in thermal equilibrium with the surroundings. Since self-heating significantly affects electro-thermal transport, incorporation of this phenomenon enables to design and model ambient temperature sensor accurately. We have studied CNT sensor with different lengths and chiralities. The results show that resistances of longest (3μm) and thinnest (9, 0) CNTs increase rapidly with temperature. For a 3μm long metallic SWCNT with chirality index (9, 0), TCR has the maximum value (~0.009/ ºC).