THERMAL IMAGING OF THIN-FILMS BY SCANNING THERMAL MICROSCOPE

In macroscopic photothermal measurement techniques inhomogeneous therm al waves are used to probe thermal properties of materials on a macros copic scale. The same principle has been adapted to a high-resolution scanning thermal microscope. Heating the thermal probe periodically re sults in an amplitude and a phase signal which can be referred to the dynamical thermal behavior of the sample. This measurement mode allows the investigation of the thermal diffusivity of samples in contrast t o experiments known from static scanning thermal microscopy which so r elated to the thermal conductivity. The photothermal scanning thermal microscope technique was used to investigate grains of thin polycrysta lline diamond films. For topography measurements the thermal probes we re additionally employed for scanning tunneling microscopy. (C) 1996 A merican Vacuum Society.