An overview of measurement techniques for radio frequency nanotechnology (Invited paper)

摘要

We present an overview of the historical development and current state-of-the-art in measurement techniques for radio frequency (RF) nanotechnology. The field of RF nanotechnology focuses on the study and engineering of RF and microwave devices that are enabled by nanomaterials and other advances in nanoscience. Measurements play a critical role in this emerging field, enabling the transition from discoveries of new phenomena and new materials to practical engineering and eventual commercial application of RF nanotechnology. One critical challenge is to overcome the inherent impedance mismatch between nanoscale systems and commercial test equipment. Early work focused on the extension of existing guided-wave and on-wafer microwave measurement techniques to nanoelectronic devices. The objective of most of these early techniques was measurement of the complex, two-port scattering parameters of passive devices that incorporated a small number of individual nanoscale building blocks. More recently, local measurement techniques such as near-field scanning microwave microscopy have been developed for broadband characterization of nanomaterials and intradevice measurement of defects, contacts, and interfaces.