Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Capillarity in Fluid

Capillarity in Fluid

Capillarity describes the movement of liquid in small spaces without external forces acting on it. The capillarity is driven by surface tension and adhesive interactions between the liquid and surrounding solid surfaces. This effect is often seen in narrow tubes, porous materials, and fine particles.
Surface tension is crucial to capillarity. It results from cohesive forces between liquid molecules at the liquid-air boundary, forming a skin that resists external forces. When the capillary tube...

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

Rise of Liquid in a Capillary Tube

When very thin cylindrical tubes, called capillaries, are dipped in a liquid, the liquid rises or falls in the tube compared to the surrounding liquid. This phenomenon is called capillary action. Capillary action occurs due to the combination of two opposing forces: the cohesive forces of the liquid, which cause it to stick to itself and form a rounded shape, and the adhesive forces between the liquid and the walls of the container, which cause the liquid to be attracted to the container walls.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Viscoelastic liquid bridge breakup and liquid transfer between two surfaces.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2020

Same author

Hierarchical structures for natural superhydrophobic surfaces.

Soft matter·2020

Same author

Droplet impact: Viscosity and wettability effects on splashing.

Journal of colloid and interface science·2019

Same author

Contact angle measurement with a smartphone.

The Review of scientific instruments·2018

Same author

Asymmetric Spreading of a Drop upon Impact onto a Surface.

Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids·2017

Same author

Understanding the drop impact on moving hydrophilic and hydrophobic surfaces.

Soft matter·2017

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Pattern Generation for Micropattern Traction Microscopy

Pattern Generation for Micropattern Traction Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2022

Understanding pattern collapse in photolithography process due to capillary forces.

S Farshid Chini¹, A Amirfazli

¹Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta Edmonton, AB T6G 2G8, Canada.

Langmuir : the ACS Journal of Surfaces and Colloids

|August 11, 2010

Summary

To prevent nanodevice collapse during photolithography drying, this study investigates surface tension force (STF) and uses Surface Evolver (SE) simulations for accurate Laplace pressure calculations, improving nanopattern fabrication. This research enhances understanding of pattern deformation and provides a more precise method for predicting collapse.

More Related Videos

Use of Sacrificial Nanoparticles to Remove the Effects of Shot-noise in Contact Holes Fabricated by E-beam Lithography

Use of Sacrificial Nanoparticles to Remove the Effects of Shot-noise in Contact Holes Fabricated by E-beam Lithography

Published on: February 12, 2017

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Published on: January 9, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 10, 2026

Pattern Generation for Micropattern Traction Microscopy

Pattern Generation for Micropattern Traction Microscopy

Published on: February 17, 2022

Use of Sacrificial Nanoparticles to Remove the Effects of Shot-noise in Contact Holes Fabricated by E-beam Lithography

Use of Sacrificial Nanoparticles to Remove the Effects of Shot-noise in Contact Holes Fabricated by E-beam Lithography

Published on: February 12, 2017

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Fabrication and Visualization of Capillary Bridges in Slit Pore Geometry

Published on: January 9, 2014

Area of Science:

Nanotechnology
Materials Science
Fluid Dynamics

Background:

Photolithography is crucial for mass nanoproduction, but shrinking device sizes increase pattern collapse risk due to capillary forces during drying.
Previous studies overlooked the significant impact of surface tension force (STF) at the three-phase line on pattern stability.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of STF in nanodevice pattern collapse during photolithography.
To develop a more accurate method for calculating interface curvature and Laplace pressure, crucial for predicting pattern deformation.

Main Methods:

Investigated the influence of STF on pattern deformation, considering factors like contact angle and pattern geometry.
Employed Surface Evolver (SE) simulations to model interface curvature, comparing results with the traditional cylindrical interface model (CIM).

Main Results:

Inclusion of STF significantly increases pattern deformation; errors increase with contact angle and aspect ratios but decrease with material elasticity.
SE simulations reveal CIM inaccurately estimates curvature for both two-line parallel and box-shaped patterns, with errors dependent on the length-to-width ratio (LAR).

Conclusions:

STF is a critical factor in nanodevice pattern collapse that must be considered in photolithography process design.
SE simulations offer a more accurate approach to calculating Laplace pressure than CIM, especially for patterns with LAR < 20, leading to better prediction of nanopattern stability.