Visualization of subsurface nanoparticles in a polymer matrix using resonance tracking atomic force acoustic microscopy and contact resonance spectroscopy.

A visualization technique of subsurface features with a nanometer-scale spatial resolution is strongly demanded. Some research groups have demonstrated the visualization of subsurface features using various techniques based on atomic force microscopy. However, the imaging mechanisms have not yet been fully understood. In this study, we demonstrated the visualization of subsurface Au nanoparticles buried in a polymer matrix 900 nm from the surface using two techniques; i.e., resonance tracking atomic force acoustic microscopy and contact resonance spectroscopy. It was clarified that the subsurface features were visualized by the two techniques as the area with a higher contact resonance frequency and a higher Q-factor than those in the surrounding area, which suggests that the visualization is realized by the variation of the contact stiffness and damping of the polymer matrix due to the existence of the buried nanoparticles.