Improvement of the identification of multiwall carbon nanotubes carpet thermal conductivity by pulsed photothermal method.

Thermal properties in multiwall carbon nanotubes carpets and micro-devices are investigated using a nanosecond photothermal method. Gradually, the identification model and experimental protocol are performed to increase the method accuracy for the thermal conductivity determination. In the experimental protocol, a nanosecond UV monopulse laser beam is used to heat the surface of a multilayer (600 nm of Ti/20 μm of carbon nanotube carpet) sample. In the 1D identification model with two layers and a thermal contact resistance, the effect of the laser excitation temporal shape is taken into account. In this study, this first approach allows to improve the accuracy of apparent thermal conductivity measurements of multiwall carbon nanotubes carpet. The carbon nanotubes carpet apparent thermal conductivity value went from being to 180 ± 5 W×m-1×K-1. In the second approach, two laser beams are coupled in order to increase the interaction time duration from 27 ns to 60 ns. It becomes possible to probe different depths in the carpet. The obtained value (180 W×m-1×K-1) confirms the pulsed photothermal method consistency for porous samples. Finally, assuming that the carbon nanotubes are parallel and without any defects, the equivalent intrinsic thermal conductivity of a single carbon nanotube is estimated to be around 3600 W×m-1×K-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]