Electrothermal signal analysis

This part of the article outlines the concepts needed for an informed approach to SThM measurement.

As with all thermal methods, understanding and interpreting the measured signal requires analysis of the energy balance of the SThM system consisting of the probe interacting with the sample and its environment. This balance enables us to establish the model describing the experiment, and to link the electrothermal measurement or the probe's electrical resistance to the sample property under investigation.

Whatever the operating mode of the tip, passive or active, a quantity of heat Q _é is exchanged between the probe and the sample. The electrical resistance of the...