title: Thermal imaging with tapping mode using a bimetal oscillator formed at the end of a cantilever.
abstract: Thermal detection based on the thermal shift of the resonant frequency of a bimetal resonator (Al/Si) is presented and demonstrated. The bimetal oscillator with a tip is fabricated at the end of a commercial silicon cantilever. The bimetal oscillator and the silicon cantilever have a resonance frequency of 441 and 91 kHz, respectively, and the measured temperature coefficients of the resonant frequency are -127x10(-6)/K and -115x10(-6)/K, respectively. It is demonstrated that self-oscillated resonant frequency of the bimetal oscillator changes in response to heat from a microheat source. Simultaneous measurements of topography and temperature profile with the temperature resolution of 0.12 K on a glass substrate heated using a thin chromium film microheater are successfully demonstrated. These results show potential abilities of the mechanical resonant thermal sensor.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, 6-6-01 Aza Aoba, Aramaki, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579, Japan. sjkimskk@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Sang-Jin
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Takahito
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ono
authors.forename: Masayoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Esashi