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PUBLICATIONS

Spinodal Dewetting of Thin Polymer Films

Published

Author(s)

R H. Xie, Alamgir Karim, Jack F. Douglas, Charles C. Han, Robert A. Weiss

Abstract

Dewetting of polystyrene (PS) films on a silicon substrate is investigated as a function of film thickness, h. We observe the nucleation of holes in the early stage of dewetting for relatively thick films (h > 100 {Angstrom}), as observed previously, but the breakup of thinner films occurs through the growth of uniformly distributed surface undulations (spinodal dewetting). The average amplitude δh of these undulations increases exponentially up to the film rupture point where δh becomes comparable to h, as predicted by a capillary wave instability model.
Citation
Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics)
Volume
81
Issue
No. 6
Pub Type
Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

capillary wave instability, dewetting, polymer, spinodal decomposition

Citation

Xie, R. , Karim, A. , Douglas, J. , Han, C. and Weiss, R. (1998), Spinodal Dewetting of Thin Polymer Films, Physical Review E (Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics), [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=852828 (Accessed November 3, 2025)

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Created August 1, 1998, Updated February 17, 2017
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