AFM-IR: Advances in super-resolution infrared spectroscopy and imaging

Abstract

Atomic force microscopy-based infrared spectroscopy (AFM-IR) is a 'cutting edge' super-resolution technique that combines IR spectroscopy and scanning probe microscopy. AFM-IR provides chemical identification and compositional mapping with spatial resolution far below the diffraction limit of light, i.e. <200nm. This extremely high resolution comes from local detection of thermal expansion of a sample upon IR irradiation via an AFM cantilever tip apex. This paper briefly reviews nanoscale IR analysis in several fields, ranging from polymers, the life sciences, and photonics to solar cells.