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High-resolution Thermal Micro-imaging Using Europium Chelate Luminescent Coatings

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The near-field scanning thermal microscope.

Uli F Wischnath¹, Joachim Welker, Marco Munzel

¹Institut fur Physik, Carl von Ossietzky Universitat, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany. u.wischnath@uni-oldenburg.de

The Review of Scientific Instruments

|August 7, 2008

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

A new near-field scanning thermal microscope detects heat currents using evanescent fields. This instrument offers high accuracy for nanoscale thermal imaging and analysis.

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The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements

The Frequency Domain Thermoreflectance Technique for Thermal Property Measurements

Published on: December 5, 2025

Area of Science:

Physics
Materials Science
Nanotechnology

Background:

Understanding nanoscale thermal transport is crucial for advanced electronics and materials.
Existing techniques often lack the spatial resolution or sensitivity to probe subtle thermal phenomena.
Evanescent thermal electromagnetic fields offer a pathway to high-resolution thermal measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

To design and characterize a novel near-field scanning thermal microscope (s-ThM).
To demonstrate the capability of detecting thermal heat currents mediated by evanescent fields.
To achieve high-accuracy nanoscale thermography.

Main Methods:

Development of a near-field scanning thermal microscope integrated with scanning tunneling microscopy (STM).
Operation in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) environment.
Utilizing a micropipette-based thermocouple sensor for precise positioning and detection.

Main Results:

Detection of thermal heat currents as low as 10(-7) W.
Successful z-spectroscopy measurements at sample distances from 1 to 30 nm.
Generation of detailed thermographic images of sample surfaces.

Conclusions:

The developed s-ThM is capable of highly accurate nanoscale thermal measurements.
The instrument effectively utilizes evanescent thermal electromagnetic fields for heat current detection.
This technology enables advanced surface thermal imaging and analysis at the nanoscale.