The development of sub-10 nm scale localized melting processing by direct atomic observation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K18683
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 19:Fluid engineering, thermal engineering, and related fields
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Kizuka Tokushi 筑波大学, 数理物質系, 教授 (10234303)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-07-09 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: ナノメートル加工 / ナノメートル物質 / 融解 / 溶接 / 接合 / 相変態 / 電子顕微鏡 / その場観察

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Ultimate heating techniques to control the structures of nanometer-sized materials and structures were developed. Pulse voltages were applied to nanometer-sized contacts and isolated nanostructures so that sub-10 nm scale local regions in them were heated to perform various processing, e.g., melting, phase transformation, and welding. The structural dynamics during the processing was in situ observed on an atomic scale by lattice imaging of transmission electron microscopy to investigate relationship between processing conditions and structural variation. Laser heating of nanometer-sized materials and thin films of carbon and metals was also performed and phase transformation, grain growth, and motion were observed in situ by the transmission electron microscopy. Based on the evaluations by these atomistic observation, sub-10 nm scale local melting processing methods were developed.

Free Research Field

ナノ工学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

これまでに様々なナノメートルサイズの粒子や構造、例えば、原子クラスター、フラーレン分子、ナノチューブやナノメートル接点などが発見されて、その実用化が期待されてきた。こうした粒子や構造を素子として機能させるためには、これらを加工し、集積化する必要がある。本研究では、こうした加工ができる局所的な加熱技術を、透過電子顕微鏡法をもとに開発し、ナノメートルサイズの金属接点などに応用した。