HEATED ATOMIC FORCE MICROSCOPE CANTILEVERS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS

Atomic force microscope (AFM) cantilevers with integrated heaters enable nanometer-scale heat flow measurements, materials characterization, nanomanufacturing, and many other applications. When a heated AFM cantilever tip is in contact with a substrate, the interface is a nanometer-scale hotspot whose temperature can be controlled over a large temperature range. Over the past decade, there has been significant improvements in the understanding of heat flows within and from a heated an AFM cantilever. There have also been improvements in the characterization and calibration of these heated AFM cantilevers. These advancements have led to new heated AFM cantilever designs and have enabled new applications of heated AFM cantilevers. This chapter describes research into heat transfer fundamentals, cantilever technology, and applications of heated AFM cantilevers.