Scanning probe microscopy and grazing-incidence small-angle scattering as complementary tools for the investigation of polymer films and surfaces

Abstract

The real-space analysis, based on scanning probe microscopy (SPM) techniques and the advanced scattering technique grazing-incidence small-angle scattering (GISAS), are complementary tools for the structural analysis of nanostructures. GISAS experiments can be performed with X-rays, named grazingincidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) and with neutrons, denoted GISANS, respectively. On selected examples of polymer films and surfaces, these complementarities are illustrated. Master curves of power spectral densities calculated from the SPM data may give an equivalent information as compared with GISAS data as long as the SPM measurement is representative in a statistical meaning for a larger area as it is addressed with GISAS. Moreover, GISAS allows for accessing buried structures that are hardly addressable with SPM.