(698j) Heat Transfer across Tip-Surface Nanointerface: A Quantitative Model By Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM)

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) has unique ability to probe qualitative thermal properties of material surface, however quantitative techniques are not available yet due to the presence of unpredictable thermal contact resistance (TCR) at tip/substrate interface. In this work, we developed two mathematical models, linear and non-linear, which are employed to quantitatively describe the TCR for both smooth and rough specimen interfaces. The developed models bridge heat transfer across tip/surface interface and enable the integrated thermal analysis at system level. This work extends the capability of SThM in quantitative measurement and enables a unique platform for thermal measurement at nanometer spatial resolution. This unique feature endows SThM new capability in quantitative thermal analysis with spatial resolution down to nanometer, which is critically important to quantify thermal conduction across interfaces within composites materials, multi-layer structures, photovoltaic devices, etc.