SEM and AFM studies

Various geometrical shapes have been observed upon addition of monovalent alkaline cations to the peptides.135,150 SEM and AFM studies revealed interwoven nanofibers... 

F. Chao, M. Costa, and C. Tian, Different steps in electrodeposition of poly(3-methylthio-phene) films on platinum-electrodes studied by ellipsometry, SEM and AFM techniques. Synth. Met., 53,127 (1993). 

Spectroscopic analyses such as FTIR, SEM and AFM and thermal analyses are also used to study secondary and primary interactions between matrix and reinforcing agent, surface morphology and thermal behaviour. 

The value of such substrates cannot be evaluated without their inclusion into sample preparation. In our case, we tested them by preparing a sample with attached carbon nanotubes. If their morphology has to be evaluated, we have to use flat surfaces, which do not temper their actual properties, measured on the nanoscale. In our study, the substrates and samples were evaluated using two different t5rpes of microscopy, namely the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and AFM. Figure 9 shows the improvement from not annealed to annealed surface with attached test molecules. 

The free surfaces of samples are studied using SEM and AFM. The smooth specimen surfaces which are required for this purpose are prepared either by ultramicrotomy or by solution-casting procedures (e.g., spin-coating). The free surface can also be etched by reactive ions via a process known as reactive ion etching (RIE) [49-51], or by using chemicals as in the case of permanganic etching [52-55]. 

With the different techniques, the surface of bulk polymeric materials or its interior is the target of the microscopic investigations (see Fig. 3.17 at the top). The surface can be studied directly with SEM or ESEM, AFM and, indirectly after replication, with TEM. Ultra- and semi-thin sections from the interior can be used for TEM and thicker sections for SEM or AFM. To compare imaging using TEM, SEM, and AFM,... 

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