Metrology of thermal properties of micro- and nanostructures using near-field scanning thermal microscopy
Since the first scanning probe microscope was constructed in the 1980s, a number of various near-field methods have been developed to investigate the nanoworld in terms of its diverse properties. Among these, there is the scanning thermal microscopy (SThM), designed for simultaneous atomic-scale imaging of surface topography with temperature or thermal conductivity.
Increasing interest in SThM has recently led to the need of comparisons between different laboratories, developing the techniques and scattered around the world. However, lack of metrology standards concerning SThM measurements has been revealed. Every research team uses its own calibration procedures, which usually cannot be compared with each other. Therefore, direct comparison of obtained results is not possible, especially when absolute temperatures are concerned. It could be even said that the development of the methods of thermal properties investigation has~restrained because of the fact that it is difficult to evaluate the claimed innovations.
The aim of the thesis is to provide metrological description of scanning thermal microscopy realised using optimally-designed thermoresistive nanoprobes. To achieve this goal, the development of specialised measurement and control devices was required. Moreover, the author was involved in the process of designing a novel thermoresistive nanoprobe, which he also tested and applied to SThM measurements.
Within the research done on the thesis, the following results have been achieved:
- successful application of novel IET/WRUT thermoresistive nanoprobes to SThM measurements (Janus et al., 2010; Wielgoszewski et al., 2010);
- development of an SThM system at the Division of Metrology of Micro- and Nanostructures (Faculty of Microsystem Electronics and Photonics, Wrocław University of Technology), including a specialised SThM module with a novel modified Wheatstone bridge (Wielgoszewski et al., 2011);
- SThM nanoprobe calibration according to standard-based procedure, developed by the author (Wielgoszewski et al., 2014);
- development and application of the tip thermal mapping (TThM) procedure (Jóźwiak et al., 2013).
The research, results of which are described in the thesis, has been conducted in close collaboration with teams from Institute of Electron Technology in Warsaw, Poland, AMD Saxony LLC & Co. KG in Dresden, Germany, Fraunhofer Institute for Nondestructive Testing, Dresden branch, Germany, and College for Nanoscale Science and Engineering, Albany, NY, USA. The experience gained during the experiments has supported the EU project STREP NANOHEAT, realised within the 7th Framework Programme.
I submitted the thesis in Polish. However, most of its research-related content is similar to above-mentioned papers. Moreover, I was invited by Peter W. Hawkes to prepare a chapter on SThM for “Advances in Electron Physics and Imaging,” available here. It is largely based on the introductory part of my thesis. Should you be interested in any of these papers, please feel free to contact me by e-mail: lp.ikswezsogleiw@etisbew or via my ResearchGate profile.