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.
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21 December 2020
Research Article|
December 15 2020
Scanning thermal microscopy on samples of varying effective thermal conductivities and identical flat surfaces Available to Purchase
Special Collection:
Photothermics
E. Guen;
E. Guen
1
CETHIL UMR5008, Univ Lyon, CNRS, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France
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P.-O. Chapuis
;
P.-O. Chapuis
1
CETHIL UMR5008, Univ Lyon, CNRS, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France
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R. Rajkumar;
R. Rajkumar
2
Kelvin Nanotechnology
, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8LS, United Kingdom
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P. S. Dobson;
P. S. Dobson
3
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow
, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
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G. Mills;
G. Mills
2
Kelvin Nanotechnology
, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8LS, United Kingdom
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J. M. R. Weaver
;
J. M. R. Weaver
3
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow
, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
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S. Gomés
S. Gomés
a)
1
CETHIL UMR5008, Univ Lyon, CNRS, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Search for other works by this author on:
E. Guen
1
P.-O. Chapuis
1
R. Rajkumar
2
P. S. Dobson
3
G. Mills
2
J. M. R. Weaver
3
S. Gomés
1,a)
1
CETHIL UMR5008, Univ Lyon, CNRS, INSA-Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1
, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France
2
Kelvin Nanotechnology
, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8LS, United Kingdom
3
School of Engineering, University of Glasgow
, Glasgow, Scotland G12 8QQ, United Kingdom
a)Author to whom correspondence should be addressed: [email protected]
Note: This paper is part of the Special Topic on Photothermics.
J. Appl. Phys. 128, 235301 (2020)
Article history
Received:
June 30 2020
Accepted:
November 21 2020
Citation
E. Guen, P.-O. Chapuis, R. Rajkumar, P. S. Dobson, G. Mills, J. M. R. Weaver, S. Gomés; Scanning thermal microscopy on samples of varying effective thermal conductivities and identical flat surfaces. J. Appl. Phys. 21 December 2020; 128 (23): 235301. https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0020276
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