Scanning thermal microscopy and its applications for quantitative thermal measurements

For more than 30 years, scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) has been used for thermal imaging and quantitative thermal measurements. It has proven its usefulness for investigations of the thermal transport in nanoscale devices and structures. However, because of the complexity of the heat transport phenomena, a quantitative analysis of the experimental results remains a non-trivial task. This paper shows the SThM state-of-art, beginning with the equipment and methodology of the measurements, through its theoretical background and ending with selected examples of its applications. Every section concludes with considerations on the future development of the experimental technique. Nowadays, SThM has passed from its childhood into maturity from the development stage to its effective practical use in materials research.