SCANNING FORCE MICROSCOPY OF NANOSTRUCTURED UNIAXIALLY ORIENTED ULTRA THIN-FILM SURFACES OF ISOTACTIC POLYSTYRENE

Surfaces of ultra thin films of isotactic polystyrene (iPS) drawn from the melt were investigated by scanning force microscopy (SFM). SFM micrographs of iPS surfaces exhibit the morphology of uniaxial orientation resulting from the preparation technique as well as structures pseudomorphic to regularly arranged shish crystals. Their diameters were approximately 60% larger compared to earlier results obtained from dark-field transmission electron microscopy investigations. Furthermore, different defects of the polymer surface morphology were observed. It is supposed that macromolecules of a lower orientational order cover the shish crystals (hair dressing model).