Experimental identification of topography-based artifact phenomenon for micro-/nanoscale thermal characterization of polymeric materials in scanning thermal microscopy

Scanning thermal microscopy (SThM) is capable of collecting topography feedback and probing qualitative thermal properties simultaneously. Although topography and thermal feedback signals are obtained from two independent loops without affecting each other, thermal feedback can be distorted by topography feedback, resulting in a topography-related thermal signal, defined as the artifact phenomenon. Based on this situation, the instrument thermal response is no longer accurate, and the intrinsic generation reason and affecting factors of the artifact are still not clear. In this work, different polymeric-based materials were prepared to construct varied contact geometries at the tip/sample contact interface. Identification of the artifact was performed based on the investigation of corresponding topography and thermal feedback. Generation mechanisms of the artifact were further proposed aiming at different contact situations. This work not only clarifies the generation reason and affecting factors of the artifact but also suggests the sample preparation requirements for the eliminated artifact and accurate thermal characterization through SThM.