The heterogeneous growth of P(3MeTh) - an ellipsometric study

Successive thicker P(3MeTh) layers are analysed by ex situ conventional and imaging ellipsometry. Thin films display a smooth surface, are compact and homogeneous while for a growth charge above 20 mC cm(-2) the polymer struc ture modifies to a still uniform but less dense layer. A two-layer model is used and a mathematical procedure is developed to obtain, simultaneously, from the experimental ellipsometric parameters, Delta and Psi, the thicknes s and the complex refractive index of P(3MeTh) films grown up to 80 mC cm(- 2). Thicker polymer layers are disordered and present a high degree of surf ace roughness. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.