CCD-based thermoreflectance microscopy: principles and applications

Abstract

CCD-based thermoreflectance microscopy has emerged as a high resolution, non-contact imaging technique for thermal profiling and performance and reliability analysis of numerous electronic and optoelectronic devices at the micro-scale. This thermography technique, which is based on measuring the relative change in reflectivity of the device surface as a function of change in temperature, provides high-resolution thermal images that are useful for hot spot detection and failure analysis, mapping of temperature distribution, measurement of thermal transient, optical characterization of photonic devices and measurement of thermal conductivity in thin films. In this paper we review the basic physical principle behind thermoreflectance as a thermography tool, discuss the experimental setup, resolutions achieved, signal processing procedures and calibration techniques, and review the current applications of CCD-based thermoreflectance microscopy in various devices.

Heat Dissipation Schemes in AlInAs/InGaAs/InP Quantum Cascade Lasers Monitored by CCD Thermoreflectance

“…The CCD TR [14,19], in which a lamp with narrow bandpass filters or a LED illuminator is used to produce the probe light (spectrally narrow) and the whole thermal image is stored in one snapshot by CCD camera. In the other configuration, known as classical or focused laser beam configuration [20][21][22], the appropriate laser line is used as a probe beam for examining the structure.…”

“…For this purpose, we have employed an experimental technique that is based on thermoreflectance spectroscopy (TR). Our implementation of the technique is based on Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) camera (CCD TR), which is characterized by high spatial and temperature resolution, and, at the same time, short measurement time [14]. Experimental results are compared to results of numerical heat transfer modeling based on the commercial finite element solver [15].…”

Thermal Characterization of Individual Pixels in Microbolometer Image Sensors by Thermoreflectance Microscopy

“…In this paper, we demonstrate, for the first time, thermal imaging and characterization of individual pixels in microbolometer image sensors using thermoreflectance microscopy (TRM), a contactless optical imaging technique that provides a 2-D thermal image of semiconductor devices with high spatial and thermal resolution [9][10][11]. Two types of custom-designed microbolometers with a shared-anchor structure were prepared, and the thermal properties of both were quantitatively measured at various bias and vacuum conditions by self-heating of the active area.…”

Nanosecond laser pulse heating of a platinum surface studied by pump-probe X-ray diffraction

“…[12][13][14][15][16][17] With this method the effect of thermalinduced change of surface reflectance is employed to determine the surface temperature. 12 For weak excitations the reflectance change is proportional to the temperature and the absolute temperature scale is determined by the so-called thermoreflectance coefficient, which is measured separately.…”

“…[12][13][14][15][16][17] With this method the effect of thermalinduced change of surface reflectance is employed to determine the surface temperature. 12 For weak excitations the reflectance change is proportional to the temperature and the absolute temperature scale is determined by the so-called thermoreflectance coefficient, which is measured separately. [18][19][20] For the detection of hot spots in microelectronic devices, TTR became a powerful tool which allows for a complete 2D-imaging of transient temperature fields of a microchip in operation.…”