Scanning Thermal Microscopy Probe Research Articles

Experimental setup for thermal measurements at the nanoscale using a SThM probe with niobium nitride thermometer.

Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) has become an important measurement technique for characterizing the thermal properties of materials at the nanometer scale. This technique requires a SThM probe that combines an Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) probe and a very sensitive resistive thermometer; the thermometer being located at the apex of the probe tip allows for the mapping of temperature or thermal properties of nanostructured materials with very high spatial resolution. The high interest of the SThM technique in the field of thermal nanoscience currently suffers from a low temperature sensitivity despite its high spatial resolution. To address this challenge, we developed a high vacuum-based AFM system hosting a highly sensitive niobium nitride (NbN) SThM probe to demonstrate its unique performance. As a proof of concept, we utilized this custom-built system to carry out thermal measurements using the 3ω method. By measuring the V3ω voltage on the NbN resistive thermometer under vacuum conditions, we were able to determine the SThM probe's thermal conductance and thermal time constant. The performance of the probe is demonstrated by performing thermal measurements in-contact with a sapphire sample.

Thermal induced deflection in atomic force microscopy cantilevers: analysis & solution

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) cantilevers are commonly made from two material layers: a reflective coating and structural substrate. Although effective, this can result in thermally induced cantilever deflection due to ambient and local temperature changes. While this has been previously documented, key aspects of this common phenomenon have been overlooked. This work explores the impact of thermally induced cantilever deflection when in- and out-of-contact, including the topographic scan artefacts produced. Scanning thermal microscopy probes were employed to provide direct cantilever temperature measurement from Peltier and microheater sources, whilst permitting cantilever deflection to be simultaneously monitored. Optical lever-based measurements of thermal deflection in the AFM were found to vary by up to 250% depending on the reflected laser spot location on the cantilever. This highlights AFM’s inherent inability to correctly measure and account for thermal induced cantilever deflection in its feedback system. This is particularly problematic when scanning a tip in-contact with the surface, when probe behaviour is closer mechanically to that of a bridge than a cantilever regarding thermal bending. In this case, measurements of cantilever deflection and inferred surface topography contained significant artefacts and varied from negative to positive for different optical lever laser locations on the cantilevers. These topographic errors were measured to be up to 600 nm for a small temperature change of 2 K. However, all cantilevers measured showed a point of consistent, complete thermal deflection insensitivity 55% to 60% along their lengths. Positioning the reflected laser at this location, AFM scans exhibited improvements of up-to 97% in thermal topographic artefacts relative to other laser positions.

Quantitative Characterization of Local Thermal Properties in Thermoelectric Ceramics Using "Jumping-Mode" Scanning Thermal Microscopy.

Thermoelectric conversion may take a significant share in future energy technologies.Oxide-based thermoelectric composite ceramics attract attention for promising routes for control of electrical and thermal conductivity for enhanced thermoelectric performance. However, the variability of the composite properties responsible for the thermoelectric performance, despite nominally identical preparation routes, is significant, and this cannot be explained without detailed studies of thermal transport at the local scale. Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is a scanning probe microscopy method providing access to local thermal properties of materials down to length scales below 100 nm. To date, realistic quantitative SThM is shown mostly for topographically very smooth materials. Here, methods for SThM imaging of bulk ceramic samples with relatively rough surfaces are demonstrated. "Jumping mode" SThM (JM-SThM), which serves to preserve the probe integrity while imaging rough surfaces, is developed and applied. Experiments with real thermoelectric ceramics show that the JM-SThM can be used for meaningful quantitative imaging. Quantitative imaging is performed with the help of calibrated finite-elements model of the SThM probe. The modeling reveals non-negligible effects associated with the distributed nature of the resistive SThM probes used; corrections need to be made depending on probe-sample contact thermal resistance and probe current frequency.

Nanoscale temperature sensing of electronic devices with calibrated scanning thermal microscopy.

Heat dissipation threatens the performance and lifetime of many electronic devices. As the size of devices shrinks to the nanoscale, we require spatially and thermally resolved thermometry to observe their fine thermal features. Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) has proven to be a versatile measurement tool for characterizing the temperature at the surface of devices with nanoscale resolution. SThM can obtain qualitative thermal maps of a device using an operating principle based on a heat exchange process between a thermo-sensitive probe and the sample surface. However, the quantification of these thermal features is one of the most challenging parts of this technique. Developing reliable calibration approaches for SThM is therefore an essential aspect to accurately determine the temperature at the surface of a sample or device. In this work, we calibrate a thermo-resistive SThM probe using heater-thermometer metal lines with different widths (50 nm to 750 nm), which mimic variable probe-sample thermal exchange processes. The sensitivity of the SThM probe when scanning the metal lines is also evaluated under different probe and line temperatures. Our results reveal that the calibration factor depends on the probe measuring conditions and on the size of the surface heating features. This approach is validated by mapping the temperature profile of a phase change electronic device. Our analysis provides new insights on how to convert the thermo-resistive SThM probe signal to the scanned device temperature more accurately.

Scanning thermal microscopy for accurate nanoscale device thermography

We investigate the accuracy and reliability of temperature mapping using scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) in contact and PeakForce tapping mode on the example of a GaN-on-SiC high electron mobility transistor (HEMT). HEMT steady-state and transient surface temperatures are extracted from SThM measurements to study the method’s accuracy and transient thermal response of the SThM probe; the results are verified by 3D finite element thermal simulation calibrated by Raman thermography. A reliable pixel-by-pixel calibration method to convert the measured electromotive force into surface temperature was developed. Discrete point measurements show good agreement (±3 °C) with the simulation in both contact and PeakForce tapping modes proving the feasibility of the SThM for accurate device thermography at the nanoscale. However, the measured temperature in calibrated 2D temperature maps deviates by as much as ~15–44% from the simulation, suggesting the SThM probe did not reach the temperature steady state due to limitations in pixel dwell time during the recording of the 2D map.

Thermal and spatial resolution in scanning thermal microscopy images: A study on the probe’s heating parameters

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) enables thermal conductivity (λ) measurements with a lateral resolution down to a few tens of nanometers. The present work investigates ways to improve SThM images recorded with resistive probes. Probes based on resistance thermometry act both as a thermometer and as a Joule heated nanoscale heat source. The influence of amplitude and frequency of the applied heating voltage on the SThM image quality was systematically studied. To connect the investigated heating parameters to the temperature change at the apex of the SThM probe, electrical–thermal finite element simulations were performed. Image quality was assessed according to three criteria. The first criterion was the thermal contrast (thermal resolution) between materials of different λ’s. To convert measured SThM signals (in mV) into thermal resolution (in W m−1 K−1), reference measurements were performed by time-domain thermoreflectance, and an implicit calibration method was employed. The second criterion was the distortion of the thermal image by topography. To illustrate the image distortion, the standard deviation of the thermal trace-minus-retrace profile was taken, which could be reduced nearly ten times by changing the heating parameters of the used SThM setup. The third criterion was the spatial resolution of the thermal images. To assess the spatial resolution, gradients in the thermal signal at interfaces between materials were extracted from profiles through thermal images.

Frequency domain analysis of 3ω-scanning thermal microscope probe—Application to tip/surface thermal interface measurements in vacuum environment

The characterization of material thermal properties at nanoscales remains a challenge even if progress was achieved in developing outstanding characterization techniques like scanning thermal microscopy (SThM). In the present work, we propose a detailed procedure based on the combined use of a SThM probe characterization and its Finite Element Method (FEM) modeling to recover in operando 3ω measurements achieved under high vacuum. This approach is based on a two-step methodology: (i) a fine description of the probe's electrical and frequency behaviors in “out of contact” mode to determine the intrinsic parameters of the SThM tip and (ii) a minimization of the free parameter of our model, i.e., the contact thermal resistance, by comparing 3ω measurements with the simulations of the probe operating “in contact mode.” Such an approach allows us to measure thermal interface resistances between the tip and the surface. We applied our methodology to three different materials with known thermal properties: Si, SiO2 bulk materials, and a gold thin film. In addition, the FEM modeling provides insights into SThM thermal probes sensitivity, as a function of probe/sample interface resistance and the contact area to measure material thermal conductivity paving the way to quantitative SThM measurements.

Scanning thermal microscopy on samples of varying effective thermal conductivities and identical flat surfaces

We propose an approach for the characterization of scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) probe response using a sample with silicon dioxide steps. The chessboard-like sample provides a series of nine surfaces made of the same material, with identical roughness, but consisting of different thicknesses of silica layers standing on a single silicon wafer. The nine regions have different effective thermal conductivities, allowing the calibration of SThM probes within a given set of surface conditions. A key benefit is the possibility of comparing the spatial resolution and the sensitivity to vertical inhomogeneities of the sample for different probes. A model is provided to determine the thermal contact area and contact thermal resistance from the experimental data. The results underline that ballistic heat conduction can be significant in crystalline substrates below the top thin films, especially for film thicknesses lower than 200 nm and effective thermal contact radius lower than 200 nm. They also highlight the sensitivity of SThM to ultrathin films, as well as the substrate below micrometric films under in-air conditions but not when in vacuum. This work advances quantitative nanometer-scale thermal metrology, where usual photothermal methods are more difficult to implement.

Sensitivity and spatial resolution for thermal conductivity measurements using noncontact scanning thermal microscopy with thermoresistive probes under ambient conditions

AbstractThermoresistive probes are increasingly popular in thermal conductivity characterization using scanning thermal microscopy (SThM). A systematic analysis of the thermal conductivity measurement performance (sensitivity and spatial resolution) of thermoresistive SThM probe configurations that are available commercially is of interest to practitioners. In this work, the authors developed and validated 3D finite element models of noncontact SThM with self-heated thermoresistive probes under ambient conditions with the probe–sample heat transfer in transition heat conduction regime for the four types of SThM probe configurations resembling commercially available products: Wollaston wire (WW) type probe, Kelvin nanotechnology (KNT) type probe, doped silicon (DS) type probe and nanowire (NW) type probe. These models were then used to investigate the sensitivity and spatial resolution of the WW, KNT, DS and NW type probes for thermal conductivity measurements in noncontact mode in ambient conditions. The comparison of the SThM probes performance for measuring sample thermal conductivity and for the specific operating conditions investigated here show that the NW type probe has the best spatial resolution while the DS type probe has the best thermal conductivity measurement sensitivity in the range between 2 and 10 W·m−1·K−1. The spatial resolution is negatively affected by large probe diameters or by the presence of the cantilever in close proximity to the sample surface which strongly affects the probe–sample heat transfer in ambient conditions. An example of probe geometry configuration optimization was illustrated for the WW probe by investigating the effect of probe wire diameter on the thermal conductivity measurement sensitivity, showing ∼20% improvement in spatial resolution at the diameter with maximum thermal conductivity measurement sensitivity.

SThM-based local thermomechanical analysis: Measurement intercomparison and uncertainty analysis

We assess Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) with a self-heated doped silicon nanoprobe as a method for determining the local phase transition temperature of polymeric materials by means of nano-thermomechanical analysis (nano-TA). Reference semi-crystalline samples and amorphous test samples, characterized first using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), are studied by nano-TA in the temperature range 50–250 °C. The repeatability, the reproducibility and the reliability of nano-TA are evaluated by three laboratories by applying the same calibration protocol prior to and after the measurements. The calibration of the probe temperature scale and the variability of the sample thermomechanical response are validated by Monte Carlo uncertainty analysis, resulting in a calculated uncertainty between 3 and 5 K. The SThM probe temperature data represented as a function of DSC-measured phase-transition temperatures of the semi-crystalline samples rule out the possibility of a quadratic fit and call for a linear calibration in absence of additional information. The maximum deviation obtained between SThM and DSC temperatures with such linear calibration reaches ± 30 K for melting temperatures and 50 K for glass transition temperatures.

Calibration of thermocouple-based scanning thermal microscope in active mode (2ω method).

We present a procedure dedicated to the calibration of a scanning thermal microscopy probe operated in an active mode and a modulated regime especially for the measurement of solid material thermal conductivities. The probe used is a microthermocouple wire mounted on a quartz tuning fork. Measurements on reference samples are performed successively in vacuum and ambient air conditions revealing a clear difference in the dependence of the thermal interaction between the probe and the sample on the sample properties. Analytical modeling based on the resolution of the heat equation in the wire probe and a description of the thermal interaction using a network of thermal conductances are used to fit experimental data and analyze this difference. We have experimentally verified that the effective thermal contact radius of the probe tip depends on the sample thermal conductivity in ambient conditions, whereas it remains constant in vacuum. We have defined the measurement range of the technique based on the decrease in the probe sensitivity at high thermal conductivities. Considering the experimental noise of our electrical device, it is shown that the maximum measurable value of thermal conductivity is near 23 W m-1 K-1 in vacuum and 37 W m-1 K-1 in ambient air conditions. Moreover, the lowest uncertainties are obtained for thermal conductivities below 5 W m-1 K-1 typically.

Calibration Tools for Scanning Thermal Microscopy Probes Used in Temperature Measurement Mode

We demonstrate the functionality of a new active thermal microchip dedicated to the temperature calibration of scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) probes. The silicon micromachined device consists in a suspended thin dielectric membrane in which a heating resistor with a circular area of 50 μm in diameter was embedded. A circular calibration target of 10 μm in diameter was patterned at the center and on top of the membrane on which the SThM probe can land. This target is a resistive temperature detector (RTD) that measures the surface temperature of the sample at the level of the contact area. This allows evaluating the ability of any SThM probe to measure a surface temperature in ambient air conditions. Furthermore, by looking at the thermal balance of the device, the heat dissipated through the probe and the different thermal resistances involved at the contact can be estimated. A comparison of the results obtained for two different SThM probes, microthermocouples and probes with a fluorescent particle is presented to validate the functionality of the micromachined device. Based on experiments and simulations, an analysis of the behavior of probes allows pointing out their performances and limits depending on the sample characteristics whose role is always preponderant. Finally, we also show that a smaller area of the temperature sensor would be required to assess the local disturbance at the contact point.

Improving accuracy of nanothermal measurements via spatially distributed scanning thermal microscope probes

Advances in material design and device miniaturization lead to physical properties that may significantly differ from the bulk ones. In particular, thermal transport is strongly affected when the device dimensions approach the mean free path of heat carriers. Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) is arguably the best approach for probing nanoscale thermal properties with few tens of nm lateral resolution. Typical SThM probes based on microfabricated Pd resistive probes (PdRP) using a spatially distributed heater and a nanoscale tip in contact with the sample provide high sensitivity and operation in ambient, vacuum, and liquid environments. Although some aspects of the response of this sensor have been studied, both for static and dynamic measurements, here we build an analytical model of the PdRP sensor taking into account finite dimensions of the heater that improves the precision and stability of the quantitative measurements. In particular, we analyse the probe response for heat flowing through a tip to the sample and due to probe self-heating and theoretically and experimentally demonstrate that they can differ by more than 50%, hence introducing significant correction in the SThM measurements. Furthermore, we analyzed the effect of environmental parameters such as sample and microscope stage temperatures and laser illumination, which allowed reducing the experimental scatter by a factor of 10. Finally, varying these parameters, we measured absolute values of heat resistances and compared these to the model for both ambient and vacuum SThM operations, providing a comprehensive pathway improving the precision of the nanothermal measurements in SThM.

Microfabricated high temperature sensing platform dedicated to scanning thermal microscopy (SThM)

The monitoring of heat flux is becoming more and more critical for many materials and structures approaching nanometric dimensions. Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) is one of the tools available for thermal measurement at the nanoscale and requires calibration. Here we report on a micro-hotplate device made of a platinum heater suspended on thin silicon nitride (SiN) membranes integrating specific features for SThM calibration. These heated reference samples can include a localized resistive temperature sensors (RTD) or standalone platinum membranes (typically 10 × 10 μm2) on which the temperature can be measured precisely. This functional area is dedicated to (1) estimate the thermal resistance between the SThM tip and hot surface contact; and to (2) evaluate the perturbation induced by the probe on the heat dissipation when the contact measurement is performed. The thermal design of these low-power calibration chips, their fabrication, including sensitive RTDs patterned using e-beam technology, as well as their electro-thermal and electro-mechanical characterizations are presented. Robust operation of the chips up to 500 °C has been demonstrated with their membrane mechanically stable up to 250 °C and a low-power consumption of 16 mW at this operating temperature. The temperature mapping of the active areas was performed using two physical principles: local SThM temperature measurement using a thermocouple-based micro-probe and optical imaging using Near-Infrared (NIR) microscopy. Measurements coupling on one hand SThM probe and the integrated RTD and, on the other hand, SThM probe with optical imaging, validated the functionality of the calibration chips. The latter open new perspectives in the calibration of SThM probes.

A dark mode in scanning thermal microscopy.

The need for high lateral spatial resolution in thermal science using Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) has pushed researchers to look for more and more tiny probes. SThM probes have consequently become more and more sensitive to the size effects that occur within the probe, the sample, and their interaction. Reducing the tip furthermore induces very small heat flux exchanged between the probe and the sample. The measurement of this flux, which is exploited to characterize the sample thermal properties, requires then an accurate thermal management of the probe-sample system and to reduce any phenomenon parasitic to this system. Classical experimental methodologies must then be constantly questioned to hope for relevant and interpretable results. In this paper, we demonstrate and estimate the influence of the laser of the optical force detection system used in the common SThM setup that is based on atomic-force microscopy equipment on SThM measurements. We highlight the bias induced by the overheating due to the laser illumination on the measurements performed by thermoresistive probes (palladium probe from Kelvin Nanotechnology). To face this issue, we propose a new experimental procedure based on a metrological approach of the measurement: a SThM "dark mode." The comparison with the classical procedure using the laser shows that errors between 14% and 37% can be reached on the experimental data exploited to determine the heat flux transferred from the hot probe to the sample.

A simplified model to estimate thermal resistance between carbon nanotube and sample in scanning thermal microscopy

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is an attractive technique for nanoscale thermal measurements. Multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT) can be used to enhance a SThM probe in order to drastically increase spatial resolution while keeping required thermal sensitivity. However, an accurate prediction of the thermal resistance at the interface between the MWCNT-enhanced probe tip and a sample under study is essential for the accurate interpretation of experimental measurements. Unfortunately, there is very little literature on Kapitza interfacial resistance involving carbon nanotubes under SThM configuration. We propose a model for heat conductance through an interface between the MWCNT tip and the sample, which estimates the thermal resistance based on phonon and geometrical properties of the MWCNT and the sample, without neglecting the diamond-like carbon layer covering the MWCNT tip. The model considers acoustic phonons as the main heat carriers and account for their scattering at the interface based on a fundamental quantum mechanical approach. The predicted value of the thermal resistance is then compared with experimental data available in the literature. Theoretical predictions and experimental results are found to be of the same order of magnitude, suggesting a simplified, yet realistic model to approximate thermal resistance between carbon nanotube and sample in SThM, albeit low temperature measurements are needed to achieve a better match between theory and experiment. As a result, several possible avenues are outlined to achieve more accurate predictions and to generalize the model.

Dimension- and shape-dependent thermal transport in nano-patterned thin films investigated by scanning thermal microscopy

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is a technique which is often used for the measurement of the thermal conductivity of materials at the nanometre scale. The impact of nano-scale feature size and shape on apparent thermal conductivity, as measured using SThM, has been investigated. To achieve this, our recently developed topography-free samples with 200 and 400 nm wide gold wires (50 nm thick) of length of 400–2500 nm were fabricated and their thermal resistance measured and analysed. This data was used in the development and validation of a rigorous but simple heat transfer model that describes a nanoscopic contact to an object with finite shape and size. This model, in combination with a recently proposed thermal resistance network, was then used to calculate the SThM probe signal obtained by measuring these features. These calculated values closely matched the experimental results obtained from the topography-free sample. By using the model to analyse the dimensional dependence of thermal resistance, we demonstrate that feature size and shape has a significant impact on measured thermal properties that can result in a misinterpretation of material thermal conductivity. In the case of a gold nanowire embedded within a silicon nitride matrix it is found that the apparent thermal conductivity of the wire appears to be depressed by a factor of twenty from the true value. These results clearly demonstrate the importance of knowing both probe-sample thermal interactions and feature dimensions as well as shape when using SThM to quantify material thermal properties. Finally, the new model is used to identify the heat flux sensitivity, as well as the effective contact size of the conventional SThM system used in this study.

Micromachined active test structure for scanning thermal microscopy probes characterization

In this paper we present the design, technology and application of Si/Si3N4 micro calibration stage equipped with Pt microheaters. This 500nm thick MEMS structure with 4 independently controlled microheaters allows for precise control temperature dissipation and contact between surface and tip of cantilever. Localization on thin, low thermally conductive membrane minimizes the heat transfer to the bulk silicon. In order to increase mechanical stability of the structure, the membrane is supported by the tip. Structure stiffness is increased which allows for characterization of relatively stiff (30–70Nm−1) piezoresistive scanning thermal microscopy probes. The small size and spatial arrangement of independent heaters allows for the controlled heat flow in the membrane and measurements of the temperature distribution.

Graphics cards based topography artefacts simulations in Scanning Thermal Microscopy

We present an approach for simulation of topography related artefacts in local thermal conductivity measurements using Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM). Due to variations of the local probe-sample geometry while the SThM probe is scanning across the surface the probe-sample thermal resistance changes significantly which leads to distortions in the measured data. This effect causes large uncertainty in the local thermal conductivity measurements and belongs between most critical issues in the SThM when we want to make the technique quantitative. For a known probe and sample geometry the topography artefacts can be computed by solving the heat transfer in the SThM for different probe positions across the surface, which is however very slow and limited to single profiles only, if we use standard tools (like commercially available Finite Element Method solvers). Our approach is based on an assumption of diffusive heat transfer between the probe and the sample surface (and within them) and on the use of a Finite Difference solver that is optimized for the needs of a simulated SThM images computing. Using a graphics card we can achieve computation speed that is sufficient for a virtual SThM image generation on the order of few hours, which is already sufficient for practical use. We can therefore use the measured sample topography and convert it to a virtual SThM image – which can be then e.g. compared to real measurement or used for artefacts compensation. The possibility of performing fast simulations of topography artefacts is also useful when uncertainties of the SThM measurements are evaluated.

Fabrication of scanning thermal microscope probe with ultra-thin oxide tip and demonstration of its enhanced performance

With the vigorous development of new nanodevices and nanomaterials, improvements in the quantitation and resolution of the measurement of nanoscale energy transport/conversion phenomena have become increasingly important. Although several new advanced methods for scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) have been developed to meet these needs, such methods require a drastic enhancement of SThM probe performance. In this study, by taking advantage of the characteristics of micromechanical structures where their mechanical stability is maintained even when the film that composes the structures becomes extremely thin, we develop a new design of SThM probe whose tip is made of ultra-thin SiO2 film (~100nm), fabricate the SThM probes, and demonstrate experimentally that the tip radius, thermal time constant, and thermal sensitivity of the probe are all improved. We expect the development of new high-performance SThM probes, along with the advanced measurement methods, to allow the measurement of temperature and thermal properties with higher spatial resolution and quantitative accuracy, ultimately making essential contributions to diverse areas of science and engineering related to the nanoscale energy transport/conversion phenomena.