High-throughput parasitic-independent probe thermal resistance calibration for robust thermal mapping with scanning thermal microscopy

Abstract

Nanostructured materials, critical for thermal management in semiconductor devices, exhibit a strong size dependence in thermal transport. Studying thermal resistance variation across grain boundaries is critical for designing effective thermal interface materials. Frequency-domain thermoreflectance (FDTR)-based techniques can provide thermal resistance mapping at the micrometer ( μ m) scale. Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM) enables quantification of local thermal transport with significantly higher spatial resolution ( < 100 nm). However, challenges in quantifying the raw signal to thermal conductivity and surface sensitivity limit its widespread adoption for understanding nanoscale heat transport and defect-mediated thermal properties in nanostructured films. Here, we introduce a circuit-based probe thermal resistance ( R p ) calibration technique independent of parasitic heat pathways, enabling accurate determination of probe heat dissipation and tip temperature rise, thereby allowing extraction of local thermal resistance. SThM achieved sub-100 nm spatial resolution in mapping thermal resistance across a 15 nm-thick Al film deposited via e-beam evaporation on a SiO 2 substrate. The thermal resistance maps are converted to thermal conductivity using robust analytical and finite element models that account for tip-sample geometry, lateral heat spreading, and buried interface effects. Gaussian distribution fitting of pixel-level thermal resistance values yields k Al = 45.1 − 3.6 + 4.7 W/(m K) for the ultra-thin Al film (13-15 nm), representing a 5.3-fold reduction from bulk aluminum [237 W/(m K)]. These results agree with published experimental data and theoretical frameworks explaining thickness-dependent heat transport in ultra-thin metallic films.