Semicontact AFM Mode for Fast Determining the Subsurface Structure of Filled Elastomers

Using atomic force microscopy in the semicontact AFM mode, we examined the surface of the filled elastomer obtained by the rupture method. A feature of the material is that it consists of a soft binder and hard nanofiller particles. Filler particles are usually hidden by a binder layer. In our work, we have shown that the information on the phase shift obtained during scanning makes it possible to look into the subsurface layer and obtain more information about the geometry of the filler particles and their location in the nanocomposite. It is possible to make visible the fragments of particles immersed in the binder, which are almost invisible on the surface relief. This does not require the use of special modes of the atomic force microscope for analysis. It is enough to use the reliable and fast scanning method in semicontact mode.