Temperature control of microheaters for localized carbon nanotube synthesis

A series of finite element thermoelectric coupling simulations on the Ti/Pt/Cr/Au thin film microheater array were conducted. The infrared image of the fabricated microheater device confirmed the simulation results. Based on these simulations, a microheater array was fabricated on Si/SiO₂ substrate, and carbon nanotube bundles were grown locally at a temperature of above 650°C while the temperatures in most ungrown area remain below 450°C, which is compatible with current IC process, facilitating the way for carbon nanotubes toward micro/nano electronics applications.