Anasys Instruments has introduced the NanoIR2, a second generation AFM based IR spectroscopy (AFM-IR) platform. NanoIR2 operates with top-side illumination, eliminating the prior need to prepare samples on a ZnSe prism and enabling measurements on a more diverse set of samples.
AFM-IR measurements have now been demonstrated on a broad range of samples including semiconductor devices, thin films, nanocomposites, data storage samples, minerals, tissue sections and polymer blends. Additionally, the NanoIR2 provides a resonance-enhanced mode, which significantly increases the sensitivity of the technique and enables AFM-IR measurements on samples of sub-20nm in thickness.
The NanoIR2 system combines the nanoscale spatial resolution capabilities of a powerful full-featured atomic force microscope (AFM) with infrared spectroscopy's ability for chemical characterisation and identification. It provides spectra that demonstrate excellent correlation with bulk FTIR spectra and can be imported into standard FTIR databases for sample component identification.
Users of the platform can survey regions of a sample via AFM quickly and then acquire high-resolution chemical spectra at the selected regions or acquire high-resolution chemical images at a fixed wavelength. Mechanical and thermal properties, such as local thermal transitions, may also be mapped with nanoscale resolution.