Thermal Test of Coatings
~mm to sub-um thick
Product Detail
ACS Material's photothermal testing service measures the thermal conductivity and interface thermal resistance of coatings on their own substrate. A modulated laser heats the surface and an infrared detector reads its thermal radiation. The service needs one specimen, millimeter to sub-micrometer thick and more than 3 mm across, and runs at room temperature. Typical lead time is 1 week.
How the measurement works
We first coat the surface with a thin gold film. A laser beam, switched on and off at a set frequency, then heats the surface. The surface temperature follows the heating with a delay, and an infrared detector reads it through the thermal radiation of the surface. The delay, read as a phase shift, is measured over a range of modulation frequencies. At high frequencies the heat stays near the surface, inside the coating; at lower frequencies it reaches the interface and the substrate. Fitting a heat-conduction model to the phase curve gives the coating's thermal conductivity through its thickness and the interface thermal resistance. The thin-film guide explains why a film's conductivity along its plane can differ.
Is this the right service?
| Your sample | Service |
|---|---|
| Free-standing wire, fiber or film, micrometer thick | Micrometer-thick service |
| Free-standing wire, fiber or film, thinner than a micrometer | Sub-micrometer service |
| A coating on its substrate, sub-micrometer to millimeter thick | This service |
| A 2D layer, tens of nanometers or thinner | 2D materials service |
| A bulk piece, tens of micrometers to tens of centimeters thick | Bulk materials service |
Specimens outside these limits are worth describing before you ship them. All five services are compared on the thermal testing services page.
Check your sample
Enter your specimen and what you need. The checker compares it with the numbers listed for each service, marks what it cannot compare, and writes an inquiry you can send as it is.
Sending specimens
FAQ
Can you measure the coating without its substrate?
This service measures the coating on its substrate, through its thickness. A free-standing film fits the TET services, which measure along the film: the micrometer-thick service, or the sub-micrometer service for thinner films.
Does the coating need to conduct electricity?
No. The laser heats the surface and the detector reads its thermal radiation, so nothing is wired to the specimen. Conducting and insulating coatings are measured the same way.
Which temperature is the test run at?
Room temperature. If you need another temperature, describe it with the sample checker before ordering.
How do I order?
Choose Room Temperature in the Type menu at the top of this page and add the test to the cart. Then check out, or click GET A QUOTE in the cart to request a quote. For a specimen outside the listed requirements, send the details first with the sample checker.
How thin can the coating be?
The listed range is millimeter to sub-micrometer thick, on a specimen more than 3 mm across. For a coating near the thin end, send its thickness and substrate first with the sample checker.
Related guides
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