Nanometer scale characterization of polymer films by atomic-force microscopy

Atomic-force microscopy was applied to perform a comprehensive surface roughness characterization of commercially available, highly transparent polymer films for transparent insulation applications. The morphological characterization included evaluation of the root-mean-square roughness, the lateral correlation length of roughness as well as the roughness exponent. In addition, high-resolution scans have been recorded yielding morphological information on a length scale of only a few ten nm. These measurements revealed the correlation between surface nanostructure and fabrication technique. For an impact-modified polymethylmethacrylate film with rubber inclusions phase images clearly uncovered the core-shell structure of these inclusions.