Thermal analyzer and a method of measuring with the same

A thermal analyzer for scanning temperature by thermally altering a sample and measuring a thermal change based on physical and chemical changes of said sample as a function of at least one of temperature and time comprising:

• a heat-generating section for heating a sample, including a thin-film heater with a cavity section in a lower section thereof;
• a sample holding section for holding said sample;
• a temperature detecting section for detecting a temperature of said sample holding section;
• wherein said sample holding section and said temperature detecting section are monolithically formed on one of said thin-film heater and an area proximate said thin-film heater in a thin-film supporting section for supporting said thin-film heater;
• an exciting unit for exciting said sample holding section;
• a vibration detecting unit for detecting vibration of said sample holding section;
• and
• an self-excited vibrating unit for causing vibration based on a cooperation of said vibrating unit with said vibration detecting unit.

A method of measuring with a thermal analyzer for scanning temperature by thermally altering a sample and measuring a thermal change based on physical and chemical changes of said sample as a function of at least one of temperature and time, said thermal analyzer including a heat-generating section for heating a sample monolithically formed with a substrate as a thin-film heater with a cavity section in a lower section thereof, a sample holding section for holding said sample, and a temperature detecting section for detecting a temperature of said sample holding section;

• wherein said sample holding section and said temperature detecting section are monolithically formed on one of said thin-film heater and an area proximate said thin-film heater in a thin-film supporting section for supporting said thin-film heater, comprising the steps of:
• superimposing a current component for thermally altering a sample at a constant rate over an AC current component for minutely changing temperature;
• and
• generating and processing a temperature change component corresponding to said AC current component as a signal from a temperature detecting unit.

A method for measuring with a thermal analyzer for scanning temperature by thermally altering a sample and measuring a thermal change based on physical and chemical changes of said sample as a function of at least one of temperature and time, said thermal analyzer comprising a heat-generating section for heating a sample monolithically formed with a substrate as a thin-film heater with a cavity section in a lower section thereof, a first sample holding section for holding said sample, a first temperature detecting section for detecting temperature of said first sample holding section;

• wherein said sample holding section and said temperature detecting section are monolithically formed on one of said thin-film heater and an area proximate said thin-film heater in a thin-film supporting section for supporting said thin-film heater, and a second sample holding section and a second temperature detecting section for detecting a temperature of said second sample holding section provided in one of the thin-film holding sections including said thin-film heater, comprising the steps of:
• putting a standard sample in said first sample holding section;
• putting a sample to be measured in the second sample holding section;
• and
• measuring the thermal characteristics of said sample to be measured according to information corresponding to a difference in temperature between the standard sample and said sample to be measured by scanning the respective temperatures of the standard sample and the sample to be measured.

A method of measuring with a thermal analyzer for scanning temperature by thermally altering a sample and measuring a thermal change based on physical and chemical changes of said sample as a function of at least one of temperature and time, said thermal analyzer comprising a heat-generating section for heating a sample monolithically formed with a substrate as a thin-film heater with a cavity section in a lower section thereof, a first sample holding section for holding said sample, a first temperature detecting section for detecting a temperature of said first sample holding section;

• wherein said first sample holding section and said first temperature detecting section are monolithically formed on one of said thin-film heater and an area proximate said thin-film heater in a thin-film supporting section for supporting said thin-film heater, a second sample holding section and a second temperature detecting section for detecting a temperature of said second sample holding section provided in one of the thin-film holding sections including said thin-film heater, and a thermal connection between said thin-film heater and said sample holding sections adjusted so that the temperature of the first sample holding section is minutely different from the temperature of the second sample holding section, comprising the steps of:
• putting first and second samples in respective of said first and second sample holding sections, said first and second samples being identical;
• scanning temperature of the first and second samples;
• and
• measuring thermal characteristics of the first sample according to information corresponding to a difference in temperature between the first and second samples.