A heat emitting probe including a conductive nanotube probe needle with
its base end fastened to a holder and its tip end protruded, a heat
emitting body formed on the probe needle, a conductive nanotube lead wire
fastened to the heat emitting body, and an electric current supply that
causes an electric current to pass through the conductive nanotube lead
wire and both ends of the probe needle. The tip end of the probe needle
is thus heated by an electric current flowing through the heat emitting
body. A heat emitting probe apparatus includes the above-described heat
emitting probe, a scanning mechanism that allows the heat emitting probe
to scan over a thermal recording medium, and a control circuit that
causes the tip end of the probe needle to emit heat, thus recording
extremely small hole patterns in the surface of a thermal recording
medium.