Contactless approaches for RF characterization of metallic nanowires

Two approaches for microwave characterization of nanowire (NW) conductivity are described in this paper. To remove the uncertainty associated with contacts, the NWs are either suspended above the center conductor of a coplanar waveguide (CPW) host or embedded in the same plane within a serrated conductor. Broadband measurements and full-wave finite element modeling of the measurement setup are performed to determine the conductivity of the Pt NWs. Fabrication and measurements are conducted for modeling validation and characterizing the devices embedded the NWs. Sensitivity studies with three different conductivities for the two structure are carried out by simulations. Results have shown that the conductivity of the Pt NWs significantly affects the S-parameter response of the tested devices, and that both approaches are suitable to characterize the NWs.