Understanding the perturbation of polymer film/substrate and the deforming behavior of metallic thin films, are the crucial challenges during the design of deformable electronics. In the current investigation, we designed a method to probe the molecular level forces developed during the mass transport of the photosensitive polymer films under light irradiation and also studied the deforming behavior of the thin metallic films ranging from 5 to 50 nm. It is well known that the photosensitive polymer thin films containing azo-benzene groups, reacts strongly to irradiation with light interference pattern resulting in the formation of surface relief grating (SRG). Metallic films with a thickness varying between 5 to 50nm are deposited on photosensitive polymer films by metal evaporation process. Using the two beam interferometry, we observed and studied regular and irregular metallic film rupturing behavior at different interfering beam conditions, grating periodicities and the metallic film thicknesses.

Rupturing of thin metallic films:  A method to probe the nanoscale molecular forces induced by mass transport in photosensitive polymer films

244th National Meeting (2012)

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