Polymer thin film instability from a patterned edge

摘要

Patterning of polymer thin films with nanoscale features is a critical step in nanoscale technologies. Here, we investigate the dewetting process from both a mechanically patterned edge (ME) and a hole edge of a thin polymer film, as a means to assess the influence of residual stresses induced during patterning on stability. At low temperature in which hole nucleation is not observed dewetting can still proceed from the ME. Under conditions in which dewetting proceeded from both edges that from the ME exhibited a crossover to a dramatically reduced dewetting velocity. These results suggest mechanical stress concentrated along the ME remarkably depresses the dewetting process by decreasing the rim growth rate.