Calculation of the temperature field induced in a sample by laser illuminated STM-probe

A finite-difference implicit numerical method of solution is applied to a problem of heat transfer calculation in a sample heated by a near field of a sharp probe tip irradiated with a short laser impulse. A thick sample occupying semi-infinite space and a thin metallic sheet attached to a thick dielectric support are considered. The calculations show that the maximal temperature of the thin metallic film is one order of magnitude larger than for the massive sample. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.