Evanescent-field scanning microscope with fourier-transform infrared spectrometer

An evanescent-field scanning microscope for infrared microanalysis has been developed. This microscope uses an evanescent field produced by total internal reflection with a high refractive index prism to attain a high spatial resolution, better than the wavelength. This microscope was combined with a Fourier-transform spectrometer. The principle of the method and experimental results for edge detection at different absorption wavelengths are described.