Premium
Probing the early stages of solvent evaporation and relaxation in solvent‐cast polymer thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry
Author(s) -
López García Í.,
Keddie J. L.,
Sferrazza M.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
surface and interface analysis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.52
H-Index - 90
eISSN - 1096-9918
pISSN - 0142-2421
DOI - 10.1002/sia.3728
Subject(s) - ellipsometry , solvent , thin film , polymer , materials science , chemical engineering , evaporation , solvent effects , polymer chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , chemistry , organic chemistry , composite material , nanotechnology , thermodynamics , physics , engineering
The formation of solvent‐cast, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) thin films from dilute bromobenzene solutions was studied using an ellipsometry technique. Bromobenzene has a relatively high refractive index (compared to PMMA), which provides contrast in ellipsometry, allowing the concentration to be determined. The solvent also has a relatively low evaporation rate, which makes the film formation slow enough to capture via the technique. The formation of the glassy film is thus studied in situ , and information on solvent and void concentration in the thin film during the film formation process is obtained. There is evidence that nanovoids (representing intramolecular space) develop in the film when solvent evaporates. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.