Publication Citation (NIST authors in bold)
Authors:	Michaels, C. A., Stranick, S. J., Richter, L. J., Cavanagh, R. R.
Title:	Nanoscale Chemical Imaging With Scanning Near-Field Infrared Microscopy
Published:	To Appear in
Abstract:	The development of a near-field microscope that utilizes infrared absorption as the optical contrast mechanism will be described. This instrument couples the nanoscale spatial resolution of a scanning probe microscope with the chemical specificity of vibrational spectroscopy. This combination allows the in situ mapping of chemical functional groups with subwavelength spatial resolution. Key elements of the microscope include: an IR light source producing ultrafast pulses with a FWHM bandwidth of 150 cm-1, an infrared focal plane array based spectrometer allowing parallel detection of the entire pulse bandwidth with 4 cm-1 resolution, and a near-field probe fabricated from fluoride glass fiber allowing single mode transmission from 2.2 microns to 4.5 microns. IR NSOM images of a TiO2/acrylic melamine nanocomposite will be used to demonstrate the chemical imaging capabilities and spatial resolution of the microscope. Several prospective applications, including the study of solid superacid catalysts and polymer blend phase segregation, will also be described.
Citation:	Nanoscale Chemical Imaging With Scanning Near-Field Infrared Microscopy
Keywords:	chemical imaging, infrared absorption, scanning microscopy, scanning near-field microscopy, scanning probe microscope
Research Area:	;