FREE MOTION OF THIN SOLID FILM ON LIQUID SURFACE AS A ROUTE TOWARDS SELF-ORGANIZATION

In this paper, we present the spontaneous formation of an unusual type of ordered structures in thin metal film systems deposited on silicon oil surfaces by a thermal evaporation method. These structures are composed of a large number of parallel rectangular-shaped domains and exhibit anti-symmetric characteristic. The experiment shows that thin solid films can move freely on liquid surfaces due to the near-zero adhesion of the solid–liquid interface, resulting in superposition of the films and formation of the ordered structures. Compressive stress gradient in the films is shown to be the driving force for self-organization. All characteristics of the ordered structures are discussed in detail based on special mechanical behaviors of these near-free sustained films.