Thermometry at the Nanoscale: Techniques and Selected Applications
Chapter 10: Near-field Thermometry
-
Published:02 Oct 2015
-
Kenneth D. Kihm, Seonghwan Kim, 2015. "Near-field Thermometry", Thermometry at the Nanoscale: Techniques and Selected Applications, Luís Dias Carlos, Fernando Palacio
Download citation file:
Various approaches to sub-micron scale thermometry have been attempted for over a decade as researchers have attempted to push the limits of spatial and temporal measurement resolution. Among them, scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) using a microfabricated thermocouple or platinum thermistor tip seems to be the best for achieving sub-micron spatial measurement resolution in the case of solid surfaces exposed in ambient air environments.1–6 In the case of aqueous media, however, the SThM probe has not yet been reported to be successful. Recently, one research group demonstrated the potential of SThM as a thermometry tool in an aqueous medium, but was not able to show any real temperature measurement data, which is necessary to validate the probe's accuracy and resolution capability.7 Another group tried to measure cellular thermal responses in a culture medium with a microthermocouple probe built on a glass micropipette, but no meaningful temperature signals were obtained.8