Support-based transfer and contacting of individual nanomaterials for in-situ nanoscale investigations

TL;DR

This paper introduces a support-based method for transferring individual nanomaterials onto TEM chips, enabling detailed in-situ electrical and structural studies with minimal damage, contamination, and potential applications in device fabrication.

Contribution

A novel, reproducible transfer technique for nanomaterials onto TEM chips using a rigid support grid, facilitating in-situ electrical and structural investigations with minimal damage.

Findings

Successful transfer of monolayer WS2 and other nanomaterials.

Preliminary in-situ TEM studies of electrical properties and failure mechanisms.

Potential for correlative microscopy and device applications.

Abstract

Although in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) of nanomaterials has been gaining importance in recent years, difficulties in sample preparation have limited the number of studies on electrical properties. Here, a support-based preparation method of individual 1D and 2D materials is presented, which yields a reproducible sample transfer for electrical investigation by in-situ TEM. Using a mechanically rigid support grid allows the reproducible transfer and contacting to in-situ chips by focused ion beam with minimum damage and contamination. The transfer quality is assessed by exemplary studies of different nanomaterials, including a monolayer of WS2. Preliminary results from in-situ test experiments give an overview of possible studies, which concern the interplay between structural properties and electrical characteristics on the individual nanomaterial level as well as failure analysis under electrical current or studies of electromigration, Joule heating and related effects. The TEM measurements can be enriched by additional correlative microscopy techniques, which allow the study with a spatial resolution in the range of a few microns. Although developed for in-situ TEM, the present transfer method is also applicable to transferring nanomaterials to similar chips for performing further studies or even for using them in potential electrical/optoelectronic/sensing devices.