Viscoelastic Analysis in the Formation of Organic Thin Films.

The initial stage of film formation has been analyzed using the quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) method. The resonance frequency and resistance of the QCM covered with paraffin thin film indicate that the viscoelastic properties of films can be changed even before the film formation from the melt or the solution, i.e., pre-transition phenomena can be observed. The QCM analysis also reveals that liquid crystalline molecules can be adsorbed as a solid phase in the vicinity of the interface even in the nematic liquid crystal phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]