Low contact resistance micro thermal switch with carbon-nanotube-enhanced contactor

Author

Tsukamoto, T. ; Esashi, M. ; Tanaka, S.

Author_Institution

Tohoku Univ., Sendai, Japan

fYear

2009

fDate

21-25 June 2009

Firstpage

1489

Lastpage

1492

Abstract

We demonstrated considerable reduction of thermal contact resistance (TCR) in microscale using carbon nanotubes (CNTs), and applied this technology to a micro thermal switch for magnetic refrigeration. A micro thermal contactor with a PECVD-grown 10 mum long "CNT carpet" shows a TCR of ca. 600 mm² K/W at a contact pressure of 20 kPa. The reliability of this data was confirmed by the extrapolation of published data in macroscale based on an empirical equation. The Off/On thermal resistance ratio of the thermal switch was ca. 7.3.

Keywords

carbon nanotubes; contact resistance; contactors; magnetic cooling; microswitches; nanotube devices; plasma CVD coatings; thermal resistance; C; PECVD; carbon-nanotube-enhanced contactor; contact pressure; empirical equation; magnetic refrigeration; micro thermal switch; plasma enhanced chemical vapour deposition; pressure 20 kPa; size 10 mum; thermal contact resistance; thermal resistance ratio; Carbon nanotubes; Conducting materials; Contact resistance; Electrical resistance measurement; Magnetic switching; Surface resistance; Switches; Temperature; Testing; Thermal resistance; Carbon nanotube (CNT); Thermal contact resistance; Thermal switch;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems Conference, 2009. TRANSDUCERS 2009. International

Conference_Location

Denver, CO

Print_ISBN

978-1-4244-4190-7

Electronic_ISBN

978-1-4244-4193-8

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/SENSOR.2009.5285797

Filename

5285797