Paper: 2005 Apertureless Near-Field Vibrational Imaging of Block-Copolymer Nanostructures with Ultrahigh Spatial Resolution

Apertureless near-field vibrational imaging of block-copolymer nanostructures with ultrahigh spatial resolution

Reviews and Highlights Quantum Science Molecular and Soft-matter Ultrafast Nano-optics and Nanophotonics Mineralogy and Geochemistry

Markus B. Raschke, Leopoldo Molina, Thomas Elsaesser, Dong Ha Kim, Wolfgang Knoll, and Karsten Hinrichs
ChemPhysChem 6, 2197 (2005).
DOI PDF

Nanodomains formed by microphase separation in thin films of the diblock copolymers poly(styrene-b-2-vinylpyridine) (PS-b-P2VP) and poly(styrene-b-ethyleneoxide) (PS-b-PEO) were imaged by means of infrared scattering-type near-field microscopy. When probing at 3.39 mum (2950 cm(-1)), contrast is obtained due to spectral differences between the C–H stretching vibrational resonances of the respective polymer constituents. An all-optical spatial resolution better than 10 nm was achieved, which corresponds to a sensitivity of just several thousand C–H groups facilitated by the local-field enhancement at the sharp metallic probe tips. The results demonstrate that infrared spectroscopy with access to intramolecular dimensions is within reach.