TY - JOUR

T1 - Specific heat measurement of thin suspended SiN membrane from 8 K to 300 K using the 3ω-Völklein method

AU - Ftouni, Hossein

AU - Tainoff, Dimitri

AU - Richard, Jacques

AU - Lulla , Kunal

AU - Guidi, J.

AU - Collin, Eddy

AU - Bourgeois, O.

PY - 2013/9

Y1 - 2013/9

N2 - We present a specific heat measurement technique adapted to thin or very thin suspended membranes from low temperature (8 K) to 300 K. The presented device allows the measurement of the heat capacity of a 70 ng silicon nitride membrane (50 or 100 nm thick), corresponding to a heat capacity of 1.4 × 10−10 J/K at 8 K and 5.1 × 10−8 J/K at 300 K. Measurements are performed using the 3ω method coupled to the Völklein geometry. This configuration allows the measurement of both specific heat and thermal conductivity within the same experiment. A transducer (heater/thermometer) is used to create an oscillation of the heat flux on the membrane; the voltage oscillation appearing at the third harmonic which contains the thermal information is measured using a Wheatstone bridge set-up. The heat capacity measurement is performed by measuring the variation of the 3ω voltage over a wide frequency range and by fitting the experimental data using a thermal model adapted to the heat transfer across the membrane. The experimental data are compared to a regular Debye model; the specific heat exhibits features commonly seen for glasses at low temperature.

AB - We present a specific heat measurement technique adapted to thin or very thin suspended membranes from low temperature (8 K) to 300 K. The presented device allows the measurement of the heat capacity of a 70 ng silicon nitride membrane (50 or 100 nm thick), corresponding to a heat capacity of 1.4 × 10−10 J/K at 8 K and 5.1 × 10−8 J/K at 300 K. Measurements are performed using the 3ω method coupled to the Völklein geometry. This configuration allows the measurement of both specific heat and thermal conductivity within the same experiment. A transducer (heater/thermometer) is used to create an oscillation of the heat flux on the membrane; the voltage oscillation appearing at the third harmonic which contains the thermal information is measured using a Wheatstone bridge set-up. The heat capacity measurement is performed by measuring the variation of the 3ω voltage over a wide frequency range and by fitting the experimental data using a thermal model adapted to the heat transfer across the membrane. The experimental data are compared to a regular Debye model; the specific heat exhibits features commonly seen for glasses at low temperature.

U2 - 10.1063/1.4821501

DO - 10.1063/1.4821501

M3 - Journal article

VL - 84

JO - Review of Scientific Instruments

JF - Review of Scientific Instruments

SN - 0034-6748

M1 - 094902

ER -