Scanning thermal microscopy and atomic force microscopy studies of laser-induced deposited metal lines

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Laser-induced deposition of palladium lines on glass from palladium acetate was systematically studied by scanning thermal microscopy and atomic force microscopy. The atomic force microscopy studies provide 3D images of deposited metal lines and fine structures on these metal lines. The scanning thermal microscope (SThM) allows mapping of thermal conductivity down to submicron scale. It is found that the deposited patterns, cross sectional profile and fine structures of these palladium lines are strongly dependent on laser power and laser scan speed. The mapping of the thermal property on submicron scale opens a way to obtain information which conventional scanning probe techniques, such as STM and AFM, are incapable of providing. SThM gives the evidence of an insulation layer (proposed to be PdO) of contamination above a certain threshold laser irradiation power. In the thermal conductivity mode, the larger thermal conductivity difference resulted in stronger contrast than the topographic difference. The lateral resolution for thermal conductivity image is less than 100 nm.