Applications of micro-thermal analysis

Micro-thermal analysis combines the imaging facility of scanning probe microscopy with the ability to characterize, with high spatial resolution, the thermal behavior of materials. A sample may be visualized according to its surface topography and also its relative thermal conductivity. Areas of interest may then be selected and localized thermal analysis (TMA and modulated temperature DTA) performed. Applications of this new technique to study semiconductors, polymer blends and biological specimens are described.