Precise Resistivity Measurement of Submicrometer-Sized Materials by Using TEM with Microprobes

Precise electric resistivity measurements of submicrometer-sized materials have been demonstrated by using the piezodriving mechanics of two microprobes in a transmission electron microscope. By introducing two supplemental copper cables connected to a specimen, an electric circuit similar to that used in the four-terminal method was realized in a specimen holder with two microprobes. By using the proposed method, we determined the resistivity of a needle-shaped Pt-Ir specimen, whose resistance is only of the order of 0.1 Omega, with a satisfactory precision of < 2 x 10(-4) Omega. This method can be employed in microscopy studies on many submicrometer-sized and/or nanometer-sized materials. [doi: 10.2320/matertrans.M2009031]