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Characterization of Localized Electrochemical Properties of Si3N4-TiC Ceramic Nanocomposite Using Dual-Electrode Scanning Probes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Bernard Haochih Liu  and
Jui-Teng Cheng
Bernard Haochih Liu*
Affiliation:
National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan 701, Taiwan
Jui-Teng Cheng
Affiliation:
National Cheng Kung University, 1 University Rd., Tainan 701, Taiwan
*
*Corresponding author: hcliu@mail.ncku.edu.tw; hcliu@alumni.stanford.edu
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Abstract

Scanning probe microscopy, having the capability of nano-positioning and nanomanipulation, enables the characterization of material properties at a very small scale. In our previous work, the investigation of localized electrochemical reactions in Si3N4-TiC ceramic nanocomposites had been demonstrated using a single conductive scanning probe in a scanning impedance microscope (SIM). The results have provided experimental evidence that links the relations among microstructural heterogeneity, electrochemical property, and sintering behavior of spark plasma sintered ceramics. This single-probe SIM measurement gave through-body electrochemical information of specific surface feature of interest; however, the characterization of across-surface material properties in nanoscale is still much desired and unavailable.

To further investigate the heterogeneity of materials, we have designed and developed a dual-electrode scanning probe (DESP), which is capable of localized electrochemical characterization across the surface of a material. These probes were designed based on computer simulation and iterations, and fabricated using common semiconductor processing techniques. The span of two probes (electrodes) in our first prototypes was 10∼15 microns, which can be further reduced with optimized parameters. The DESP probes have been evaluated on Si3N4-TiC nanocomposites to demonstrate their functionality in topography scanning and in-situ impedance measurement. The impedance spectroscopy revealed two distinct impedance patterns for measurements across TiC-rich and Si3N4-rich surface regions. The design, fabrication, and evaluation of DESP were discussed in addition to the analysis of Si3N4-TiC nanocomposites.

Keywords

scanning probe microscopy (SPM)microelectro-mechanical (MEMS)microstructure
Type
Articles
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 1712: Symposium ZZ/AAA/BBB – Recent Advances in the Structural Characterization of Materials , 2014 , mrss14-1712-bbb01-05
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2014 

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References

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