Chemical mapping using thermal microscopy at the micro and nano scales

US9091594B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force · US

Inventors

• Robert Furstenberg · Burke, US
• Chris Kendziora · Burke, US
• Nabil D. Bassim · Hamilton, CA
• Robert Andrew McGill · Lorton, US
• Viet K. Nguyen · Gaithersburg, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 25, 2012
• Grant date: Jul 28, 2015
• Expiry date: Nov 30, 2032

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N2021/393
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A non-destructive method for chemical imaging with ˜1 nm to 10 μm spatial resolution (depending on the type of heat source) without sample preparation and in a non-contact manner. In one embodiment, a sample undergoes photo-thermal heating using an IR laser and the resulting increase in thermal emissions is measured with either an IR detector or a laser probe having a visible laser reflected from the sample. In another embodiment, the infrared laser is replaced with a focused electron or ion source while the thermal emission is collected in the same manner as with the infrared heating. The achievable spatial resolution of this embodiment is in the 1-50 nm range.