CNES expertise and laboratories department currently has a Fourier transform infrared microscope whose spatial resolution is limited to around a dozen of microns and requires i) contact with the object to be analyzed or ii) a reflectance or transmittance of the the sample analyzed in the infrared range (between 2.5 and 25 microns).Numerous assessments on contaminated components (blisters on optics, electronic cards and contaminated substrates, etc.) could not be carried out because of these limitations.

The O-PTIR technique was recently developed to overcome these problems and thus obtain submicrometer resolution in IR. In addition, the spatial resolution in Raman and IR is identical and with colocalized and simultaneous measurement of these two techniques. The acquisition by CNES of the MIRAGE-LS microscope from Photothermal™ company and based on the O-PTIR technique therefore opens numerous research perspectives and will allow progress in the field of failure analysis in the fields of contamination, materials, optics or more microelectronics.

Our work was based on the evaluation of such a technique in our laboratoy on various substrates (MLI, optics, electronic card...) contaminated with space materials (EC9323-2...). The objective was to overcome the above-mentionned limitations to obtain a mapping of the absorption bands on a same defect (particles, molecules...) for instance.