Development and use of image scanning ellipsometer to study the dynamics of heated thin liquid films. Final report, July 1, 1989--June 30, 1998
The general objective of this research was to study the characteristics of evaporative phase change in ultra-thin films. The immediate objective was to develop and use microscopic image processing systems (IPS) to measure film thickness profiles. The IPS has two possible configurations: an image analyzing interferometer (IAI) and/or an image scanning ellipsometer (ISE). Both pure liquid films and the formation of sol-gel (xerogels) coatings were studied. An IAI was developed and used to measure the thickness profiles of equilibrium and evaporating liquid films under various conditions. The design and construction of an ISE was also completed and the system was successfully tested by measuring the thickness profile and the refractive index of a non uniform solid film. The profiles of both wetting and partially wetting draining isothermal films were also measured using the ISE. The profiles of the wetting films were analyzed to obtain the dynamics of transport processes in completely wetting thin films. The analysis of the nonwetting profiles continues. TEOS based sol-gels were fabricated in bulk as well as deposited as films on silicon wafers by spin-coating. The authors found that the properties of the final xerogel films are very sensitive to the processing conditions.
- Research Organization:
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst., Troy, NY (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Research, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- FG02-89ER14045
- OSTI ID:
- 304023
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/ER/14045-14; ON: DE99001432; TRN: AHC29904%%97
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: PBD: Jul 1998
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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