Lock-in infrared thermography: Phase analysis for rapid, wide-range thermal conductivity measurements

We report on a phase-based lock-in thermography approach, combined with a multilayered thermal model (often employed in thermoreflectance analysis), to measure the thermal conductivity of a variety of materials. The spatial distribution of the material’s thermal phase is monitored with an infrared camera, which is locked into the frequency of a modulated laser used to heat the material. This phase distribution is then fit with a thermal model, in which properties such as thermal conductivity are extracted as fit parameters. This approach enables non-contact, front-side measurements, which are insensitive to surface roughness. The technique does not strictly require the application of a transducer layer, but we highlight the practical benefits of applying a removable adhesive layer to serve as a near-surface absorber. We demonstrate the efficacy of the method by measuring materials with thermal conductivities that span more than three orders of magnitude (∼1 to >2000 W m−1 K−1).