Quantification of probe-sample interactions of a scanning thermal microscope using a nanofabricated calibration sample having programmable size.

We report a method for quantifying scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) probe-sample thermal interactions in-air using a novel temperature calibration device. This new device has been designed, fabricated and characterized using SThM to provide an accurate and spatially variable temperature distribution that can be used as a temperature reference due to its unique design. The device was characterized by means of a microfabricated SThM probe operating in passive mode. This data was interpreted using a heat transfer model, built to describe the thermal interactions during a SThM thermal scan. This permitted the thermal contact resistance between the SThM tip and the device to be determined as 8.33 × 105 K/W. It also permitted the probe-sample contact radius to be clarified as being the same size as the probe’s tip radius of curvature. Finally, the data was used in the construction of a lumped-system steady state model for the SThM probe and its potential applications were addressed.