Nanomechanical characterization of porous materials by atomic force microscopy

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and nanoindentation were used to characterize poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) films with a wide distribution of pores. Pores with diameters ranging from tens of nanometers to few micrometers were measured by AFM and cross-section scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Atomic force acoustic microscopy (AFAM) mapping of the elastic modulus were correlated with the samples topography and pore distribution. The elastic moduli of the samples were additionally measured by nanoindentation.