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Atomically Defined Templates for Epitaxial Growth of Complex Oxide Thin Films
Published on: December 4, 2014
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Structuring in thin films during meniscus-guided deposition.
René de Bruijn1,2, Anton A Darhuber1, Jasper J Michels3
1Department of Applied Physics and Science Education, Eindhoven University of Technology, P.O. Box 513, 5600 MB Eindhoven, The Netherlands.
The Journal of Chemical Physics
|November 19, 2024
Summary
Evaporation drives phase separation in thin films on moving substrates. Different mass transport mechanisms, including a novel hydrodynamic coarsening, dictate the separation rate and domain morphology based on evaporation speed.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Fluid Dynamics
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Thin film deposition is crucial for solution-processed materials.
- Understanding phase separation dynamics in evaporating films is key for material properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To theoretically investigate evaporation-driven phase separation in binary fluid mixtures on moving substrates.
- To analyze the interplay of mass transport mechanisms during film coarsening.
Main Methods:
- Theoretical study using lubrication approximation for hydrodynamic transport.
- Analysis of diffusive, evaporative, and hydrodynamic mass transport.
- Focus on the limit of rapid substrate motion.
Main Results:
- Early demixing is dominated by diffusive and evaporative transport.
- Late-stage coarsening exhibits distinct mechanisms influenced by evaporation rate and hydrodynamics.
- A novel hydrodynamic coarsening regime was identified for off-critical mixtures, leading to directional droplet motion.
Conclusions:
- The coarsening rate is dictated by the dominant mass transport mechanism.
- Solvent evaporation rate significantly influences the transition between coarsening regimes.
- Hydrodynamic interactions can lead to directed self-assembly of solute-rich domains.
