Quantifying the Temperature of Heated Microdevices Using Scanning Thermal Probes

TL;DR

This paper introduces custom scanning thermal probes with integrated heating and sensing capabilities to accurately measure the temperature of microdevices at high temperatures, overcoming limitations of traditional resistance thermometers.

Contribution

Development of a novel scanning thermal probe with a sharp tip and integrated heater/thermometer for reliable temperature measurement of heated microdevices.

Findings

Accurate temperature measurement of microdevices at elevated temperatures.

Use of a simple lumped-capacitance model for thermal resistance and temperature deduction.

Enhanced capability for temperature characterization in nanoscale energy transport studies.

Abstract

Quantifying the temperature of microdevices is critical for probing nanoscale energy transport.Such quantification is often accomplished by integrating resistance thermometers into microdevices. However, such thermometers frequently become structurally unstable and fail due to thermal stresses at elevated temperatures. Here, we show that custom-fabricated scanning thermal probes (STPs) with a sharp tip and an integrated heater/thermometer can accurately measure the temperature of microdevices held at elevated temperatures. This measurement is accomplished by introducing a modulated heat input to the STP after contacting the microdevice with the STP's tip, and characterizing the DC and AC components of the STP's temperature.From these measured temperature components, the tip-to-sample thermal resistance and the microdevice surface temperature are deduced via a simple lumped-capacitance model. The advances presented here can greatly facilitate temperature measurements of a variety of heated microdevices.