Temperature mapping of operating nanoscale devices by scanning probe thermometry

Area of Science:

• Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nanoscale hotspots influence material properties, chemical reactions, and biological processes.
• Understanding local thermal non-equilibrium is crucial for nanoscale device operation.
• High-resolution thermometry is essential for nanoscale thermal analysis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To present a new technique for nanoscale temperature field imaging.
• To overcome limitations of scanning probe microscopy in nanoscale thermometry.
• To enable precise mapping of thermal effects at the nanoscale.

Main Methods:

• Utilizing a scanning thermal microscope.
• Developing a method to eliminate tip-sample contact artifacts.
• Applying the technique to map Peltier effects and self-heating.

Main Results:

• Achieved 7 mK temperature resolution.
• Demonstrated sub-10 nm spatial temperature resolution.
• Successfully mapped local Peltier effects at metal-semiconductor contacts and self-heating in a metal interconnect.

Conclusions:

• The presented technique significantly advances nanoscale thermometry.
• Eliminating contact artifacts opens new possibilities for scanning probe thermometry.
• High-resolution temperature mapping is now feasible for various nanoscale phenomena.