SCANNING PROBE MICROSCOPY OF ORGANIC AND POLYMERIC FILMS - FROM SELF-ASSEMBLED MONOLAYERS TO COMPOSITE MULTILAYERS

We discuss the results of scanning probe microscopy studies of the surface morphology of ordered molecular films from organic low-molecular-mass and polymeric compounds. Films considered include: self-assembled monolayers, Langmuir-Blodgett films and composite molecular films fabricated from different organic compounds. Several aspects of these systems are revealed: their nanoscale surface morphology, typical naturally occurring defects of the surfaces and molecular-scale ordering. Surface modification of soft organic materials during scanning with the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip is considered as well. For various classes of ordered molecular films, application of the AFM technique and other scanning probe techniques such as lateral force microscopy produce a new level of in situ quantitative characterization of molecular films on micrometre, submicrometre and molecular scales.