ELECTROCHEMICAL MICROSCOPY OF POLYMER LAYERS

Electrochemical imaging of holes in a polymer layer lying on a metal i s demonstrated. Electrochemical imaging has been used to obtain high d efinition ''pictures'' of metal/insulator composite surfaces (under aq ueous solutions), and porous materials, eg dentine and membranes, [1]. The principle of the method depends on scanning the surface of intere st with a microelectrode (the ''tip'') which either responds to change s in potential or changes in current as it is scanned [2]. We demonstr ate here how the method can be used to image holes in a thin polymer c oating on a metal surface. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.