EVIDENCE FOR IMAGING CONDUCTING POLYMER FOAMS IN NFIM WITH TETRACYANOETHYLENE AND DICHLORO-DICYANO-BENZOQUINONE

Abstract
Unusual ion images of polymer layers formed by field polymerization of image gas molecules have been reported for tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) under conditions of negative field ion microscopy (NFIM). In these experiments the tip temperature was slightly lower than the ambient gas temperature. The present study shows that negative field ion images and dynamic phenomena obtained with 2,3-dichloro-5,6-dicyano-p-benzoquinone under similar experimental conditions closely resemble those observed with TCNE. Furthermore it is shown that the ion images of both image gases and the observed dynamic phenomena arise from an elastic foam structure of the polymer layer. The rings and ring structures are attributed to the ion emission from bubbles extending out of the surface with electrically conducting surface layers.