Miniaturization of electronic and optoelectronic devices and circuits and increased switching speeds have exasperated localized heating problems. Steady-state and transient characterization of temperature distribution in devices and interconnects is important for performance and reliability analysis. Novel devices based on nanowires, carbon nanotubes, and single molecules have feature sizes in 1–100 nm range, and precise temperature measurement and calibration are particularly challenging. In this paper we review various microscale and nanoscale thermal characterization techniques that could be applied to active and passive devices. Solid-state microrefrigerators on a chip can provide a uniform and localized temperature profile and they are used as a test vehicle in order to compare the resolution limits of various microscale techniques. After a brief introduction to conventional microthermocouples and thermistor sensors, various contact and contactless techniques will be reviewed. Infrared microscopy is based on thermal emission and it is a convenient technique that could be used with features tens of microns in size. Resolution limits due to low emissivity and transparency of various materials and issues related to background radiation will be discussed. Liquid crystals that change color due to phase transition have been widely used for hot spot identification in integrated circuit chips. The main problems are related to calibration and aging of the material. Micro-Raman is an optical method that can be used to measure absolute temperature. Micron spatial resolution with several degrees of temperature resolution has been achieved. Thermoreflectance technique is based on the change of the sample reflection coefficient as a function of temperature. This small change in range per degree is typically detected using lock-in technique when the temperature of the device is cycled. Use of visible and near IR wavelength allows both top surface and through the substrate measurement. Both single point measurements using a scanning laser and imaging with charge coupled device or specialized lock-in cameras have been demonstrated. For ultrafast thermal decay measurement, pump-probe technique using nanosecond or femtosecond lasers has been demonstrated. This is typically used to measure thin film thermal diffusivity and thermal interface resistance. The spatial resolution of various optical techniques can be improved with the use of tapered fibers and near field scanning microscopy. While subdiffraction limit structures have been detected, strong attenuation of the signal reduces the temperature resolution significantly. Scanning thermal microscopy, which is based on nanoscale thermocouples at the tip of atomic force microscope, has had success in ultrahigh spatial resolution thermal mapping. Issues related to thermal resistance between the tip and the sample and parasitic heat transfer paths will be discussed.
Skip Nav Destination
Article navigation
December 2008
Thermal Issues In Emerging Technologies Theory And Applications, Theta
Microscale and Nanoscale Thermal Characterization Techniques
J. Christofferson,
J. Christofferson
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Search for other works by this author on:
K. Maize,
K. Maize
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Search for other works by this author on:
Y. Ezzahri,
Y. Ezzahri
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Shabani,
J. Shabani
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Search for other works by this author on:
X. Wang,
X. Wang
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Search for other works by this author on:
A. Shakouri
A. Shakouri
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Search for other works by this author on:
J. Christofferson
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
K. Maize
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
Y. Ezzahri
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
J. Shabani
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
X. Wang
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064
A. Shakouri
Baskin School of Engineering,
University of California at Santa Cruz
, Santa Cruz, CA 95064J. Electron. Packag. Dec 2008, 130(4): 041101 (6 pages)
Published Online: November 13, 2008
Article history
Received:
October 1, 2007
Revised:
September 8, 2008
Published:
November 13, 2008
Citation
Christofferson, J., Maize, K., Ezzahri, Y., Shabani, J., Wang, X., and Shakouri, A. (November 13, 2008). "Microscale and Nanoscale Thermal Characterization Techniques." ASME. J. Electron. Packag. December 2008; 130(4): 041101. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.2993145
Download citation file:
Get Email Alerts
Impact of Encapsulated Phase Change Material Additives for Improved Thermal Performance of Silicone Gel Insulation
J. Electron. Packag (December 2024)
Special Issue on InterPACK2023
J. Electron. Packag
Related Articles
Thermoreflectance Measurement of Temperature and Thermal Resistance of Thin Film Gold
J. Heat Transfer (November,2012)
Heat Transfer Across Metal-Dielectric Interfaces During Ultrafast-Laser Heating
J. Heat Transfer (April,2012)
Nanoscale Temperature Distributions Measured by Scanning Joule Expansion Microscopy
J. Heat Transfer (May,1998)
Thermal Writing and Nanoimaging With a Heated Atomic Force Microscope Cantilever
J. Heat Transfer (August,2002)
Related Proceedings Papers
Related Chapters
Chitosan-Based Drug Delivery Systems
Chitosan and Its Derivatives as Promising Drug Delivery Carriers
Structural Evolutions of Nanocrystalline Nial Evtermetallic during Mechanical Alloying Process
International Conference on Mechanical and Electrical Technology, 3rd, (ICMET-China 2011), Volumes 1–3
On the Evaluation of Thermal and Mechanical Factors in Low-Speed Sliding
Tribology of Mechanical Systems: A Guide to Present and Future Technologies