Proposal Number: CTS-0609163 Principal Investigator: Yamaguchi, Masashi Affiliation: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Proposal Title: NER:Nanoscale Acoustics and Thermal Transport in Nanorod/Nanotube Arrays
This proposal was received in response to Nanoscale Science and Engineering initiative, NSF 05-610, category NER. The multidisciplinary project focuses on the growth and non-contact thermal and acoustic transport measurements of three dimensional nanostructure arrays. The science of thermal conduction in nanometer scale materials is still a largely unexplored area of research. Thermal properties in nanoscale are fundamentally different from that of the macroscopic systems, and measurement based on a different principal is required. To date, it has been difficult to create a suitable test-bed for the measurements. In this project, thermal transport properties of the nanostructures will be studied from the nanoscopic point of view using acoustic transport. This work will utilize a novel GHz-THz acoustic spectroscopy technique used on novel nanostructures fabricated using an advanced deposition method.
With respect to Broader Impacts, thermal/acoustic transport in nanoscale materials is interesting not only from the fundamental science point of view, but also important in electronic device applications. Thermal management in nanoscale electronic devices is one of the most challenging and urgent problems in semiconductor industry. The expected results of this project will provide a basic understanding of some of the key issues in thermal management of advanced electronic devices. The project will involve a variety of students in multidisciplinary research. Outreach activities to K-12 levels are planned.
