PHOTOTHERMAL IMAGING BY SCANNING THERMAL MICROSCOPY

A combined scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and scanning thermal mi croscopy (SThM) setup is introduced that is capable of mapping simulta neously topographical as well as local thermal properties of sample su rfaces. The miniaturized thermocouple probe used in the microscope ima ges the thermal conductivity of the sample if operated in the statical mode. To investigate the dynamical thermal behavior of the sample as well, the thermocouple is applied in the ac or photothermal mode. In t his case, the resultant amplitude and phase information detected with a lock-in amplifier depend on the local thermal properties of the samp le, which is well known from classical macroscopic photothermal invest igation techniques. The microscope was employed for the investigation of thermal properties of (111) textured diamond films with high latera l resolution. (C) 1996 American Vacuum Society.