New frontiers in infrared microspectroscopy

Abstract

Infrared microspectroscopy has become a common technique for the microanalysis of material. Characterization of spatially specific areas using infrared spectroscopy has been applied to a wide range of materials/systems including, for example, multi-layer films, silicon wafer contamination and inclusions in a variety of systems, surface contamination, orientation in single fibers. In addition, infrared microspectroscopy mapping experiments have been used to obtain images of materials based on functional group absorptions that characterize system composition.The spatial resolution of the technique is limited to approximately 10-20 micrometers experimentally, due to diffraction limitations. Infrared ultra-microspectroscopy has been mentioned by Messerschmidt as a technique to achieve resolution below the diffraction limit of the radiation (e.g. 5 micrometers). However, in the absence of experimental technology to routinely increase the spatial resolution from which unique infrared spectra can be obtained, we have applied factor analysis techniques to effectively increase the spatial resolution from which an infrared spectrum could be obtained.