Cooling Rate Dependent Ellipsometry Measurements to Determine the Dynamics of Thin Glassy Films

The overall goal of this procedure is to provide a simple method to quickly and accurately measure the glass transition temperature, apparent expansion coefficient, and average dynamics of ultra-thin glassy films. This method can help answer key questions in a polymer glass field, such as how the dynamics of thin-films relate to those of the bulk. The main advantage of this technique is that it can calculate the glass transition temperature, apparent activation coefficients, and fragilities of polymer ultra-thin films in a single high-throughput experiment.

While the example provided here is mostly focused on polymer glasses, this method can be applied more broadly to study the properties of thick and thin films of other types of glasses, such as organic molecule glasses and nanocomposites. Start preparing the film a day before it is needed for glass transition temperature measurements. Have a scale ready to accurately weigh materials for the film.