Softening point measuring apparatus and thermal conductivity measuring apparatus

1. A softening point measuring apparatus using a probe microscope as a base,

the softening point measuring apparatus comprising:

a cantilever including a probe at a tip thereof and a heat generating portion at a vicinity of the probe;

a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the heat generating portion;

a displacement detection unit for detecting a displacement of the cantilever;

a sample moving unit for moving a sample;

a vacuum chamber in which the probe and the sample are disposed; and

a vacuum pumping unit for the vacuum chamber, wherein:

the heat generating portion is heated for heating the probe so as to heat a contacting portion with the sample locally for detecting a flection amount of the cantilever so as to measure a softening point of the sample; and

an ambient environment of the probe and the sample is 1/100 atmospheric pressure (10 3 Pa) or lower.

2. A softening point measuring apparatus using a probe microscope as a base,

the softening point measuring apparatus comprising:

a cantilever including a probe at a tip thereof and a heat generating portion at a vicinity of the probe;

a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the heat generating portion;

a displacement detection unit for detecting a displacement of the cantilever;

a sample moving unit for moving a sample; and

a chamber in which the probe and the sample are disposed, wherein:

the heat generating portion is heated for heating the probe so as to heat a contacting portion with the sample locally for detecting a flection amount of the cantilever so as to measure a softening point of the sample; and

the probe includes a thermal insulation material provided so as to cover a side surface thereof, to thereby reduce thermal dissipation from the side surface of the probe to 1/100 or less in heat quantity compared with a case where the thermal insulation material is not provided.

3. A softening point measuring apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the thermal insulation material has a thickness of at least approximately 100 times a thickness of a natural oxide film that is formed on the side surface of the probe in atmosphere.

4. A softening point measuring apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the thermal insulation material comprises a film made of SiO 2 , having a thickness of at least approximately 240 nm coating the probe.

5. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus using a probe microscope for measuring thermal conduction of a sample as a base,

the thermal conductivity measuring apparatus comprising:

a cantilever including a probe at a tip thereof and a heat generating portion at a vicinity of the probe;

a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the heat generating portion;

a displacement detection unit for detecting a displacement of the cantilever;

a sample moving unit for moving the sample;

a vacuum chamber in which the probe and the sample are disposed; and

a vacuum pumping unit for the vacuum chamber, wherein:

the thermal conductivity measuring apparatus performs measuring of the thermal conduction of a surface of the sample via a contacting portion between the sample and the probe by measuring a resistance variation in the heat generating portion and detecting a temperature variation of the cantilever as a variation of a resistance value; and

an ambient environment of the probe and the sample is 1/100 atmospheric pressure (10 3 Pa) or lower.

6. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus according to claim 5 , further comprising a heating and cooling unit for the sample.

7. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus using a probe microscope as a base, the thermal conductivity measuring apparatus comprising:

a cantilever including a probe at a tip thereof and a heat generating portion at a vicinity of the probe;

a voltage applying unit for applying a voltage to the heat generating portion;

a displacement detection unit for detecting a displacement of the cantilever;

a sample moving unit for moving a sample; and

a chamber in which the probe and the sample are disposed, wherein:

the thermal conductivity measuring apparatus performs measuring of thermal conduction of a surface of, the sample via a contacting portion between the sample and the probe by measuring a resistance variation in the heat generating portion and detecting a temperature variation of the cantilever as a variation of a resistance value; and

the probe includes a thermal insulation material provided so as to cover a side surface thereof, to thereby reduce thermal dissipation from the side surface of the probe to 1/100 or less in heat quantity compared with a case where the thermal insulation material is not provided.

8. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a heating and cooling unit for the sample.

9. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein the thermal insulation material has a thickness of at least approximately 100 times a thickness of a natural oxide film that is formed on the side surface of the probe in atmosphere.

10. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising a heating and cooling unit for the sample.

11. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the thermal insulation material comprises a film made of SiO 2 , having a thickness of at least approximately 240 nm coating the probe.

12. A thermal conductivity measuring apparatus according to claim 11 , further comprising a heating and cooling unit for the sample.