High-resolution chemical mapping of surface bound functional groups with tapping-mode scanning force microscopy

Contrast mechanisms yielding surface compositional information are an important developed in scanning probe microscopy. The ability of tapping-mode scanning force microscopy (TM-SFM)super3 to distinguish between the segregated domains of functional groups is demonstrated. This was assessed by imaging partial bilayer structures formed by the exposure of gold substrates to ethanolic solutions. The results show that phase contrast TM-SFM can produce surface chemical maps, without significant convolution of topography.