Nanoscale Thermal and Mechanical Interactions Studies using Heatable Probes

Abstract The use of heatable probes in scanning probe microscopy allows the effect of temperature to be studied in combination with the mechanical interaction of the probe tip with a sample surface. Using nanometer‐scale sharp tips, the thermal and thermomechanical properties of solids can be determined locally down to nanometer scale. In this chapter we present a review of heatable probe types, and discuss some of the most prominent applications of these devices. Scanning thermal imaging is described first, followed by a detailed analysis of local heat flow through heated tips in contact with a surface. Nanoindentation of polymers with heated tips is used to uncover fundamentals of thermomechanical interaction with polymers on a small scale. This is described in terms of yielding and deformation kinetics. Finally, patterning applications are discussed, such as thermomechanical probe‐storage using nanoindentation, nanotribology and nanolithography utilizing heated‐tip‐assisted deposition and removal of material.