Macroscale view of the NANOHEAT platform…a set of IMINA miBot micromanipulators integrated onto a Scanning Electron Microscopy stage performing diagnostic measurement on the single microchip.

NANOHEAT TechnologyDielectric Scanning Thermal Microscopy cantilever with nano-tip at the end. Cantilever designed for optical deflection sensing.

Results of FEM simulations of various microcantilevers by means of CoventorWare environment.

Topography and temperature of a polysilicon fuse recorded using a single nanoprobe SThM cantilever with optical detection of the tip displacement; the highest temperature is observed in the middle of the polysilicon fuse, cooling effects of the polysilicon contact (acting as a heatsink) identified.

The principle goal of the NANOHEAT project is to develop, deliver and validate a miniaturized and integrated platform which provides a multidimensional nanoprobing capability for advanced thermal analysis at the nanoscale. The multi-functional system of independently controlled AFM-based nanoprobes, equipped with dedicated (focussed ion beam (FIB) functionalized) tips and actuators will allow for multi-domain diagnostics of nanoelectronic, nanophotonic and bio-electronic devices. The proposed system will allow to observe thermal, electrical (e.g. potential) or even chemical (e.g. electrochemical) properties at the nanoscale. It will also have in-line (on wafer) diagnostics capabilities.
The consortium is composed of 3 R&D; institutes, 4 university teams and 2 SMEs providing a mixture of a complementary expertise related to micro-engineering, design and technology of micro/nano-devices and systems, design and manufacturing of measurement and control electronics, modelling and simulation, material science and physics. Besides, four partners has an expertise and potential required for validation of the developed system for specific applications. The Coordinator, ITE is a leading Polish research centre active in the micro/nanoelectronic, micro/nano-system and photonic domains.