Scanning Thermal Microscopy (SThM):

This is one of the types of SPM, which maps the local temperature and thermal conductivity of an interface. This is good for analyzing the phase-change media.

Figure 20.07: Schematic set up of Scanning Thermal Microscopy.

Figure 20.07 displays the typical experimental setup for SThM . SThM uses specialized probes: (i) Thermocouple probes where the probe temperature is monitored by a thermocouple junction at the probe tip and (ii) resistive or bolometer probes where the probe temperature is monitored by a thin film resistor at the probe tip. These probes are generally made from thin dielectric films on a silicon substrate and use a metal or semiconductor film bolometer to sense the tip temperature.

Figure 20.08: Typical SThM images of MOSFEL and diamond films [3,4].

Ref.[3]. http://www.electronics.uni-wuppertal.de/forschung/thermak.html#sthm.
Ref.[4]. http://www.electronics.uni-wuppertal.de/forschung/thermak.html#sthm.