Microthermal analysis is a materials characterization technique which combines the
thermal analysis
Thermal analysis is a branch of materials science where the properties of materials are studied as they change with temperature. Several methods are commonly used – these are distinguished from one another by the property which is measured:
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principles of
differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) with high spatial resolution of
scanning probe microscopy. The instrument consists of a thermal probe which is basically a fine platinum/rhodium alloy wire (5 micro meter in diameter) coated by a sheath of silver (
Wollaston wire). The wire is bent into V-shape and the silver sheath is etched away to form a fine pointed tip. The probe acts as both the heater as well as temperature sensor. The probe is attached to a conventional scanning probe microscope and can be scanned over the sample surface to spatially resolve the thermal behavior of the sample.
This technique has been widely used for localized thermal analysis, where the probe is heated rapidly to avoid thermal diffusion through the sample and the response of the substance in immediate proximity to the tip is measured as a function of temperature. Micro-thermal analysis was launched
commercially in March 1998.
Microthermal analysis has been extended to higher spatial resolution t
nanothermal analysiswhich uses microfabricated self-heating silicon cantilevers to probe thermomechanical properties of materials with sub-100 nm spatial resolution.
[B. A. Nelson and W. P. King, Review of Scientific Instruments 78 (2), 023702-023708 (2007).]
References
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External links
Application notes from TA Instruments
Materials science