High-resolution Thermal Micro-imaging Using Europium Chelate Luminescent Coatings

J Vis Exp. 2017 Apr 16:(122):53948. doi: 10.3791/53948.

Abstract

Micro-electronic devices often undergo significant self-heating when biased to their typical operating conditions. This paper describes a convenient optical micro-imaging technique which can be used to map and quantify such behavior. Europium thenoyltrifluoroacetonate (EuTFC) has a 612 nm luminescence line whose activation efficiency drops strongly with increasing temperature, due to T-dependent interactions between the Eu3+ ion and the organic chelating compound. This material may be readily coated on to a sample surface by thermal sublimation in vacuum. When the coating is excited with ultraviolet light (337 nm) an optical micro-image of the 612 nm luminescent response can be converted directly into a map of the sample surface temperature. This technique offers spatial resolution limited only by the microscope optics (about 1 micron) and time resolution limited by the speed of the camera employed. It offers the additional advantages of only requiring comparatively simple and non-specialized equipment, and giving a quantitative probe of sample temperature.

Publication types

  • Video-Audio Media

MeSH terms

  • Chelating Agents / chemistry
  • Equipment Design
  • Europium / chemistry*
  • Luminescence
  • Luminescent Agents / chemistry*
  • Microscopy / instrumentation
  • Optical Imaging / instrumentation*
  • Optical Imaging / methods*
  • Temperature
  • Ultraviolet Rays

Substances

  • Chelating Agents
  • Luminescent Agents
  • Europium