Recent experimental results based on x-ray reflectivity [1,2], and ellipsometry [3] have demonstrated that physical properties of polymer films thinner than one micron may deviate significantly from bulk values [4]. The mechanical properties of the ultra-thin films (sub-micron) are experimentally difficult to determine with precision. The quartz crystal microbalance is an established technique for measuring properties of polymer thin films of a few microns thick. [5-7] Recently this quartz crystal microbalance technique has been modified for measuring the mechanical properties of sub-micron polymer films with high precision. The details and preliminary results from this recently modified quartz crystal microbalance technique will be presented.
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