DIRECT MORPHOLOGICAL-STUDY OF METAL-POLYMER INTERFACES BY SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY

Using a scanning force microscope, direct imaging of the metal/polymer interface was achieved for the first time by removing the evaporated metal film from the deposited polymer and imaging the side that was exposed to the polymer, This technique allows direct sight of the metal/polymer interface and provides information about the possible effects related to metal deposition on polymers. For comparison, two different metals, gold and aluminium, with fairly different physical properties were evaporated on a spin-coated poly-3-octylthiophene polymer. While the gold film exhibits fine granulates forming a semi-homogeneous film, tbe aluminium film shows large elongated protrusions forming a network structure.