Submicron-resolving infrared near-field absorption spectroscopy was achieved in fingerprint region by employing a free-electron laser at Tokyo University of Science as a tunable and bright IR light source and a custom-made cantilever probe with a 0.5 mu m aperture as a near field probe. Infrared near-field imaging/spectroscopy between 8.3 and 8.7 mu m wavelengths convincingly demonstrated observation of dissociation of the C-O-C bonds in cholesteryl oleate with submicron resolution. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.