Subsurface characterization of carbon nanotubes in polymer composites via quantitative electric force microscopy.
Subsurface characterization of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) dispersed in free-standing polymer composite films was achieved via quantitative electric force microscopy (EFM). The effects of relative humidity, EFM probe geometry, tip-sample distance and bias voltage on the EFM contrast were studied. Non-parabolic voltage dependence of the EFM signal of subsurface CNTs in polymer composites was observed and a new mechanism was proposed taking consideration of capacitive coupling as well as coulombic coupling. We anticipate that this quantitative EFM technique will be a useful tool for non-destructive subsurface characterization of high dielectric constant nanostructures in low dielectric constant matrices.
Zhao
Minhua
M
Materials and Construction Research Division, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD 20899, USA. minhua.zhao@nist.gov
Gu
Xiaohong
X
Lowther
Sharon E
SE
Park
Cheol
C
Jean
Y C
YC
Nguyen
Tinh
T