A SCANNING FLUORESCENT PROBE FOR LOCAL TEMPERATURE IMAGING OF MICROELECTRONIC CIRCUITS

A fluorescent particle settled at the extremity of an atomic force microscope tip is used as a scanning temperature sensor. Since fluorescence is an effect that depends on temperature, by collecting the amount on light emitted by the particle as a function of its position on a sample, we are able to map the heat distribution on its surface. To validate the technique, we have imaged the heating of a stripe resistor.