GOALI: Nanoparticle Luminescence Thermometry with 10 nm Resolution for Challenging Environments

University Of California-Berkeley, Berkeley CA

Investigators

Abstract

The principal investigator proposes to solve an issue that arises from a critical need in the success of the next-generation hard drive. The issue involves a technique for measuring temperature at nano-scales on the hard drive, where failure occurs, that has so far not been done. The research partnership involves researchers from industry (Seagate Corporation), University of California - Berkeley's Mechanical Engineering Department and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Engagement with the Students for Environmental Energy Development (SEED) group at UC-Berkeley and local high schools will be conducted using the existing program. This GOALI project proposes to use photoluminescence nanoparticles to measure temperature at around 10 nm spatial resolutions. Such a high spatial resolution is inspired by the industry's (Seagate) need in a new generation hard drive technology called HAMR (heat-assisted magnetic recording) where the device failure has to do with temperature at nanoscale regions. Preliminary results have demonstrated the potential of the photoluminescence technique for temperature measurement. The spectral shape and lifetime of photoluminescence emission will be correlated as a function of local temperature. Experiments along with modeling will be used to understand HAMR being developed by Seagate, the industrial partner. Although targeting Seagate's HAMR application, these capabilities would be broadly applicable to all sorts of thermal measurement challenges at the nanoscale, including thermal characterization inside a single cell, and of other commercial nanoscale devices such as transistors, memory, or optoelectronics.