Surface structure of amorphous PMMA from SPM: auto‐correlation function and fractal analysis

The surface topography of amorphous poly(methyl methacrylate) has been investigated by scanning probe microscopy technique and analysed using an auto‐correlation function approach. Spatial correlations in the arrangement of sub‐macromolecular fragments on the surface are studied depending on preparation conditions (whether the surface was free, i.e. in contact with air, or confined with the silicon substrate). The correlation length of the roughness distribution on the surface of amorphous polymers corresponds to the internal dimensions of unperturbed polymer chains (the radius of gyration). The scaling behaviour of the roughness is analysed with the Hurst approach, and found to be different for the free surface and for the confined one. As a result of annealing at a temperature above the glass transition temperature of the bulk polymer, both surfaces converge to similar fractal dimensionalities and correlation lengths.