Development of nanoscale temperature measurement technique using near-field fluorescence

A nanoscale thermal system design, especially for the precise measurement of the temperature distribution in microfabricated devices using novel nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes and fullerene has become increasingly important along with the development of nanotechnology. A new approach has been proposed toward an optical nanoscale temperature measurement method using near-field optics and fluorescence thermometry, namely, Fluor-NOTN (fluorescent near-field optics thermal nanoscopy). The topographic image and temperature dependence of a fluorescently modified sample, excited by near-field light, are simultaneously monitored. In this article, the temperature dependence of Cy3 fluorescent dye is verified near room temperature (298-308 K). A Cy3 mono-dispersed sample of a permalloy (Ni ₈₁Fe ₁₉) wire heater, 500 nm in width and 100 nm in thickness, is designed and fabricated. A localized temperature gradient of ΔT = 4 K within a submicron distance from the heater was successfully detected by near-field fluorescence with 100 nm spatial resolution.