Sometimes lateral structures of polymer films on solid surfaces prevent a correct estimation of interesting film properties (thickness d, refractive index n). Common ellipsometric techniques give only average values of the thickness and optical constants of the entired illuminated surface region (light spot in mm² range). However, imaging ellipsometry is able to detect the lateral inhomogenities and microstructures in detail, and furthermore, to analyze them by fitting the ellipsometric
Mädge D. (2007) Grafting of Polymers onto SiO2 Surfaces through Surface-attached Monomers. Dissertation, Univ. Freiburg, Germany
The aim of Poetes et al. is to understand and induce conformational state changes in polymer brushes in liquids. Controlling these states and the associated surface properties locally promises to be of technological interest. In particular, they study the effect of temperature and electric fields on brushes in liquid.
Poetes R, Zhou F, Huck W, Steiner U: Controlling Conformational States in Polymer Brushes
An alternative route to flexible surface properties. Poster.
Bumbu G.-G., Kircher G., Wolkenhauer M., Berger R., Gutmann J.S. (2004) Synthesis and Characterization of Polymer Brushes on Micromechanical Cantilevers. Macromolecular Chemistry and Physics 205, 1713–1720
application_note_micropatte~.pdf