What Is a Thermal Probe?

The thermal probe method can be used to detect N-type or P-type silicon wafers. The basic principle of the probe operation is shown in Figure 1. The two probes make ohmic contact with the code, for example, the hot probe is 25-100 ° C higher than the cold probe. The voltmeter measures the potential difference between the two probes. The polarity indication can determine whether the material is N or P type.

Thermal probe method

Right!

The thermal probe method can be used for N-type or P-type detection of silicon wafers. The basic principle of the probe operation is shown in Figure 1. The two probes make ohmic contact with the code, for example, the hot probe is 25-100 ° C higher than the cold probe. The voltmeter measures the potential difference between the two probes. The polarity indication can determine whether the material is N or P type.

Chinese name

Thermal probe method

English name

thermal probe method

definition

A technology that uses the temperature difference electromotive force generated by a heated tungsten probe in contact with a semiconductor surface at room temperature to determine the type of semiconductor conductivity.

Applied discipline

Materials science and technology (first-level discipline), semiconductor materials (second-level discipline), semiconductor material performance testing (third-level discipline)

The above content was published by the National Science and Technology Terminology Examination Committee.

Figure 1 Basic mechanism of thermal probe ^[1]

Considering the N-type sample shown, the majority carriers are electrons. When the probe is heated, the thermal energy of the electrons is higher than that of the cold probe, so the electrons will diffuse away from the hot probe due to the temperature gradient. If you connect a wire between the hot and cold probes, you will get a measurable current, the direction of which corresponds to Figure 1.