Confinement effects on the mechanical properties of ultrathin polymer films (<100 nm) were investigated by a novel bubble inflation technique developed in our lab. Circular bubbles of different diameter were used in prior studies of ultrathin films of poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) and polystyrene (PS). Here we show early results from using a rectangular bubble geometry for measurements performed with ultrathin PVAc films. Results are compared with those for the circular bubbles.
展开▼
