Dewetting of thin polymer films: An X-ray scattering study

P. Müller-Buschbaum; M. Stamm

doi:10.1016/S0921-4526(98)00238-5

Dewetting of thin polymer films: An X-ray scattering study

P. Müller-Buschbaum, M. Stamm

MPI für Polymerforschung

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

37 Scopus citations

Abstract

The surface morphology of different dewetting states of thin polymer films (polystyrene) on top of silicon substrates was investigated. With diffuse X-ray scattering in the region of total external reflection a high in-plane resolution was achieved. We observe a new nano-dewetting structure which coexists with the well known mesoscopic dewetting structures of holes, cellular pattern and drops. This nano-dewetting structure consists of small dimples with a diameter in the nanometer range. It results from the dewetting of a remaining ultra-thin polymer layer and can be explained with theoretical predictions of spinodal decomposition. The experimental results of the scattering study are confirmed with scanning-force microscopy measurements.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	229-237
Number of pages	9
Journal	Physica B: Condensed Matter
Volume	248
Issue number	1-4
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/S0921-4526(98)00238-5
State	Published - 15 Jun 1998
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Dewetting
Diffuse scattering
Polymer
SFM

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10.1016/S0921-4526(98)00238-5

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title = "Dewetting of thin polymer films: An X-ray scattering study",

abstract = "The surface morphology of different dewetting states of thin polymer films (polystyrene) on top of silicon substrates was investigated. With diffuse X-ray scattering in the region of total external reflection a high in-plane resolution was achieved. We observe a new nano-dewetting structure which coexists with the well known mesoscopic dewetting structures of holes, cellular pattern and drops. This nano-dewetting structure consists of small dimples with a diameter in the nanometer range. It results from the dewetting of a remaining ultra-thin polymer layer and can be explained with theoretical predictions of spinodal decomposition. The experimental results of the scattering study are confirmed with scanning-force microscopy measurements.",

keywords = "Dewetting, Diffuse scattering, Polymer, SFM",

author = "P. M{\"u}ller-Buschbaum and M. Stamm",

note = "Funding Information: We want to thank M. Casagrande, P. Vanhoorne and A. Vix for their help during the X-ray experiment and V. Scheumann for his help with the SFM measurements. Additionally we owe many thanks to S. Cunis, G. von Krosigk and U. Lode for the technical assistance at the BW4 beamline, to R. Gehrke for his general support of the experiment at HASYLAB and H. Walter for his help with the ellipsometric measurement. This work was supported within the European Community programm HCM-ERBCHBICT941717 and C11-CT-93-0351 as well as by DFG.",

year = "1998",

month = jun,

day = "15",

doi = "10.1016/S0921-4526(98)00238-5",

language = "English",

volume = "248",

pages = "229--237",

journal = "Physica B: Condensed Matter",

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}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Dewetting of thin polymer films

T2 - An X-ray scattering study

AU - Müller-Buschbaum, P.

AU - Stamm, M.

N1 - Funding Information: We want to thank M. Casagrande, P. Vanhoorne and A. Vix for their help during the X-ray experiment and V. Scheumann for his help with the SFM measurements. Additionally we owe many thanks to S. Cunis, G. von Krosigk and U. Lode for the technical assistance at the BW4 beamline, to R. Gehrke for his general support of the experiment at HASYLAB and H. Walter for his help with the ellipsometric measurement. This work was supported within the European Community programm HCM-ERBCHBICT941717 and C11-CT-93-0351 as well as by DFG.

PY - 1998/6/15

Y1 - 1998/6/15

N2 - The surface morphology of different dewetting states of thin polymer films (polystyrene) on top of silicon substrates was investigated. With diffuse X-ray scattering in the region of total external reflection a high in-plane resolution was achieved. We observe a new nano-dewetting structure which coexists with the well known mesoscopic dewetting structures of holes, cellular pattern and drops. This nano-dewetting structure consists of small dimples with a diameter in the nanometer range. It results from the dewetting of a remaining ultra-thin polymer layer and can be explained with theoretical predictions of spinodal decomposition. The experimental results of the scattering study are confirmed with scanning-force microscopy measurements.

AB - The surface morphology of different dewetting states of thin polymer films (polystyrene) on top of silicon substrates was investigated. With diffuse X-ray scattering in the region of total external reflection a high in-plane resolution was achieved. We observe a new nano-dewetting structure which coexists with the well known mesoscopic dewetting structures of holes, cellular pattern and drops. This nano-dewetting structure consists of small dimples with a diameter in the nanometer range. It results from the dewetting of a remaining ultra-thin polymer layer and can be explained with theoretical predictions of spinodal decomposition. The experimental results of the scattering study are confirmed with scanning-force microscopy measurements.

KW - Dewetting

KW - Diffuse scattering

KW - Polymer

KW - SFM

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U2 - 10.1016/S0921-4526(98)00238-5

DO - 10.1016/S0921-4526(98)00238-5

M3 - Article

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SN - 0921-4526

VL - 248

SP - 229

EP - 237

JO - Physica B: Condensed Matter

JF - Physica B: Condensed Matter

IS - 1-4

ER -

Dewetting of thin polymer films: An X-ray scattering study

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Keywords

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