High-sensitivity nanometer-scale infrared spectroscopy using a contact mode microcantilever with an internal resonator paddle.

Infrared (IR) spectroscopy is one of the most widely used techniques for identifying and characterizing materials, but is diffraction limited to a spatial resolution of no smaller than several micrometers. This paper reports IR spectroscopy with 100 nm spatial resolution, using a tunable laser whose absorption in an organic layer is measured via atomic force microscopy. Wavelength-dependent absorption in the sample results in local thermomechanical deformation, which is sensed using the sharp tip of a resonant atomic force microscope cantilever. We introduce a cantilever and system design capable of 100 nm spatial resolution and a 6 x sensitivity improvement over previous approaches.