RESUMEN
This paper reports nanotopography and mid infrared (IR) microspectroscopic imaging coupled within the same atomic force microscope (AFM). The reported advances are enabled by using a bimaterial microcantilever, conventionally used for standard AFM imaging, as a detector of monochromatic IR light. IR light intensity is recorded as thermomechanical bending of the cantilever measured upon illumination with intensity-modulated, narrowband radiation. The cantilever bending is then correlated with the sample's IR absorption. Spatial resolution was characterized by imaging a USAF 1951 optical resolution target made of SU-8 photoresist. The spatial resolution of the AFM topography measurement was a few nanometers as expected, while the spatial resolution of the IR measurement was 24.4 µm using relatively coarse spectral resolution (25-125 cm(-1)). In addition to well-controlled samples demonstrating the spatial and spectral properties of the setup, we used the method to map engineered skin and three-dimensional cell culture samples. This research combines modest IR imaging capabilities with the exceptional topographical imaging of conventional AFM to provide advantages of both in a facile manner.