ABSTRACT
The surface morphological features of multiphase polymer systems, including a wide range of materials such as composites, blends, and block copolymers, can be characterized at high magnication and resolution by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which is an excellent complimentary technique to the electron microscopy techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Using the phase contrast mode, all these microscopy techniques can be used for composition imaging of the different phases in multiphase polymer lms. Moreover, this chapter will present the manner in which AFM can also provide additional quantitative information regarding the differences in local mechanical properties by measuring the lateral forces (lateral force imaging), adhesion forces (adhesion force mapping), and Young’s modulus (modulus mapping, indentation mapping).
