Dresden 2003 – scientific programme
Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Downloads | Help
CPP: Chemische Physik und Polymerphysik
CPP 13: Dünne Polymerfilme
CPP 13.1: Talk
Thursday, March 27, 2003, 10:15–10:30, ZEU/118
Satellite Holes Formation in Thin Polymer Films — •Chiara Neto1, Karin Jacobs1, Ralf Seemann2, Ralf Blossey3, Jürgen Becker4, and Gü n ther Grün4 — 1Experimental Physics, Saarland University, 66041 Saarbrücken — 2Department of Applied Physics, University of Ulm, 89069 Ulm — 3Center for Bioinformatics, Saarland University, 66041 Saarbrücken — 4Institute of Applied Mathematics, University of Bonn, 53115 Bonn
The dewetting of thin polymer films on solid substrates has been studied extensively in the last decade. Here, we describe experiments and simulations concerned with the decay of thin polystyrene films. In the experiments the film rupture is artificially triggered by scratching an initially flat film, resulting in dry channels in the film. The further rupture of the film occurs by the formation of a correlated pattern of holes (“satellite holes") along the liquid rims accumulating at the channel borders. The development of this complex film rupture process, which is neither simply nucleation nor spinodal dewetting, can be mimicked precisely by making use of novel simulation code based on a rigorous mathematical treatment of the thin film equation and on the knowledge of the effective interface potential of the system.
[1] Neto C, Jacobs K, Seemann R, Blossey R, Becker J and Grün G 2002 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter (in press).
[2] Becker J, Grün G, Seeman R, Mantz H, Jacobs K, Mecke K R and Blossey R 2002 Nature Materials (in press).