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Solid‐State Acquisition of Fingermark Topology using Dense Columnar Thin Films
Author(s) -
Lakhtakia Akhlesh,
Shaler Robert C.,
MartínPalma Raúl J.,
Motyka Michael A.,
Pulsifer Drew P.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of forensic sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.715
H-Index - 96
eISSN - 1556-4029
pISSN - 0022-1198
DOI - 10.1111/j.1556-4029.2010.01685.x
Subject(s) - materials science , cyanoacrylate , chalcogenide , fumed silica , evaporation , porosity , deposition (geology) , thin film , chemical engineering , vacuum evaporation , porous medium , nanotechnology , composite material , optoelectronics , paleontology , adhesive , physics , layer (electronics) , sediment , biology , engineering , thermodynamics
Various vacuum techniques are employed to develop fingermarks on evidentiary items. In this work, a vacuum was used to deposit columnar thin films (CTFs) on untreated, cyanoacrylate‐fumed or dusted fingermarks on a limited selection of nonporous surfaces (microscope glass slides and evidence tape). CTF deposition was not attempted on fingermarks deposited on porous surfaces. The fingermarks were placed in a vacuum chamber with the fingermark side facing an evaporating source boat containing either chalcogenide glass or MgF 2 . Thermal evaporation of chalcogenide glass or MgF 2 under a 1 μTorr vacuum for 30 min formed dense CTFs on fingermark ridges, capturing the topographical features. The results show that it is possible to capture fingermark topology using CTFs on selected untreated, vacuumed cyanoacrylate‐fumed or black powder–dusted nonporous surfaces. Additionally, the results suggested this might be a mechanism to help elucidate the sequence of deposition.