Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets

Download Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 101 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (172 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets by : Daniel Melvin Kuncicky

Download or read book Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets written by Daniel Melvin Kuncicky and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 101 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Keywords: Raman, Colloid, SERS, colloidal, patterning, crystal, TMV, self-assembly, thin film, sessile, droplet.

Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets

Download Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (656 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets by :

Download or read book Characterization and Engineering of the Process of Directed Particle Self-assembly in Thin Films and Sessile Droplets written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Directed self-assembly of colloidal particles confined between a solid and liquid interface has been studied as a versatile tool for organizing 2D and 3D crystalline arrays on solid substrates. The overarching goal of this study was to engineer the process of assembly to achieve simple and cost effective solutions for application needs were self-assembled particle structures work better than microfabricated ones. Two technologically relevant geometrical motifs of assembly were studied in detail. A thin film assembly technique based on controlled withdrawal of a meniscus was employed for modifying solid substrates with arrays of organic and inorganic colloidal particles. The assembled particles were used as a template for sterically directing the meso- and micro structure of metallic films for control over their electro-optical functionality. A sessile droplet templating technique was developed for fabricating arrays of discrete colloidal crystal patches of controlled shape and size. The process of assembly was studied in detail for each motif to optimize the deposition conditions and formulate protocols for controlling the size, composition, internal particle symmetry and overall shape. The methods and the results developed are relevant to different disciplines, including self-assembly, surface chemistry, Atomic Force Microscopy methodology, biological research and spectroscopy. Convective assembly and latex templating of gold nanoparticles was used to fabricate highly efficient nanostructured substrates for surface enhancing Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensors. The structure-dependent performance of these SERS substrates was systematically characterized with cyanide in a flow milli-fluidic chamber to simulate on-line continuous water monitoring. A matrix of experiments was designed to isolate the SERS contributions arising from meso- and microscale porosity, long range ordering of the micropores, and the thickness of the nanoparticle layer. The SERS results were.

Directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles Using External Fields

Download Directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles Using External Fields PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781124241135
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (411 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles Using External Fields by : Manish Mittal

Download or read book Directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles Using External Fields written by Manish Mittal and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this thesis we demonstrate the use of external fields to direct the self assembly of anisotropic particles into controlled microstructure. Directed self-assembly by external electric field has the advantage that it leads to rapid assembly of particles, it is reversible and the interactions can be tuned by controlling the field parameters. However, the polarization mechanism of colloidal particles and its dependence on the properties of the particle and the medium is not well understood. We use optical tweezers to measure the interactions between particles as a function of medium salt concentration and field frequency. We identify the double layer relaxation as the dominant polarization mechanism. This enables us to reinterpret the order-disorder phase diagram, published earlier by Lumsdon and co-workers, and thus predict the electric field required to assemble particles given the size of the particles, the frequency of the field and the type and concentration of the counter-ion in the system. We study the application of external field to anisotropic nanoparticle assembly using zeolite particles. The assembly of disk-shaped zeolite particles is interesting from the perspective of both understanding how anisotropic particles respond in electric field and also to self-assemble a zeolite structure, a material with large number of industrial applications. Similar to spherical particles, the disk shaped particles also form a hexagonal close-packed structure by assembling in a side-to-side fashion with their long axis, the diameter, oriented along the field direction. However, due to the smaller size of particles the field strengths required to assemble these particles are higher than those used in interaction measurements. At high field strengths the particles also form a brush-like structure that grows from the electrode interface towards the bulk suspension. The assembly of particles near the electrode interface occurs due to an interplay between dipolar force and the drag force due to electro-hydrodynamic (EH) flow. In addition to generalizing the dipolar interaction mechanism to anisotropic particles, this work also demonstrates the challenges associated with the use of only electric field to self-assemble particles into a permanent structure. To form an irreversible structure under electric field we develop a combined field and flow directed technique for assembling anisotropic particles and show its application using ellipsoidal titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The colloidal suspension of titanium dioxide particles, confined between glass substrates, is allowed to dry in the presence of electric field. The electric field orients the particles and due to the evaporation of solvent micrometer thick particulate films deposit onto the glass substrate. The microstructure of the film is controlled by tuning the field strength and the field frequency. On varying the field frequency the particles undergo a parallel-random-perpendicular orientation transition with respect to the electric field direction. The optical and the mechanical properties of the film are dependent on the orientation of the deposited particles. This work demonstrates a novel method of assembling anisotropic particles using external fields and controlling the microstructure using field frequency. Although field-assisted convective deposition allows us to control the orientation of the particles, the thickness of the film cannot be precisely controlled and the electrode gap limits the area of the assembled region. Unlike external electric fields, flow fields are more scalable and could be used to deposit particles over a large area. We use a flow coating technique to deposit ellipsoidal titanium dioxide particles on a glass substrate. The film is deposited from a colloidal suspension confined between a fixed blade and a translating substrate. Both the microstructure and the thickness of the film are simultaneously controlled by varying the particle volume fraction in the suspension, the velocity of the substrate and the angle between the blade and the substrate. At volume fractions above the isotropic-nematic transition the particles in the film orient along the coating direction. At volume fractions below the isotropic-nematic transition the particles do not orient along the coating direction. The substrate velocity and the blade angle affect the shear and extensional stresses exerted on the colloidal particles, which determine the orientation of the particles in the deposited film. Thus, flow coating is a rapid and scalable approach for de- positing thin films of nanostructured material consisting of anisotropic particles. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Evaporative Self-assembly of Ordered Complex Structures

Download Evaporative Self-assembly of Ordered Complex Structures PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : World Scientific
ISBN 13 : 9814304689
Total Pages : 395 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (143 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Evaporative Self-assembly of Ordered Complex Structures by : Zhiqun Lin

Download or read book Evaporative Self-assembly of Ordered Complex Structures written by Zhiqun Lin and published by World Scientific. This book was released on 2012 with total page 395 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The use of spontaneous self-assembly, as a lithographic tool and as an external field-free means to construct well-ordered and intriguing patterns, has received much attention. This book offers a spectrum of experimental and theoretical advances in evaporative self-assembly techniques.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films and Mesostructured Materials Using Self-asssembled Surfactant Templates

Download Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films and Mesostructured Materials Using Self-asssembled Surfactant Templates PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (65 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films and Mesostructured Materials Using Self-asssembled Surfactant Templates by : Jared Rausch Archer

Download or read book Synthesis, Characterization, and Application of Thin Films and Mesostructured Materials Using Self-asssembled Surfactant Templates written by Jared Rausch Archer and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Thin films and mesostructured materials were fabricated by a process in which the synthesis is directed by molecularly self-assembled surfactant templates. The formation of Langmuir monolayers and Langmui-Blodgett (LB) films with insoluble lipid amphiphiles (DPPC), reactive surfactants (OTS), and biomolecules (collagen) were studied. The monolayer and LB film characteristics were investigated for combinations of the above materials. The motivation for including collagen in the products was to explore the effects of a biomolecule and the possible preparation of materials with a more complex hierarchical structure. The precursor sol presented in this research is an advance in long-term stability for this type of material. Unlike prior attempts reported in the literature to create suitable precursors, this sol is chemically stable on a time scale of years. The condensation polymerization proceeds to form silicate oligomers of a relatively low molecular weight, but the chemical nature of the sol prevents the reaction from proceeding to the point at which phase separation occurs. The silicate polymerization proceeded spontaneously with the introduction of water to complete the mesoporous silica films studied. The application of the precursor sol to a liquid/liquid interface proved to be a novel approach to obtaining structured mesoporous films that are not affected or templated by a substrate. Addition of collagen molecules in the reaction results in the formation of only cubic structures, even if the reaction conditions would normally create lamellar or hexagonal structures. Mesoporous particles were obtained from surfactant templates in the reaction mixture. The addition of collagen proved to be an effective processing agent for the produced materials. The analysis of mesoporous silica particles with molybdenum showed limited catalytic activity with regard to propane oxidative dehydrogenation (ODH). The particles maintained high surface area and pore structure, but displayed low conversion rates of propane. The formation of mixed oxide catalyst supports, using the same method for preparing mesoporous silica particles, proved to have much better potential. The SiO2-TiO2 mixed oxides with molybdenum had higher surface areas, stronger molybdenum-oxygen bonds, and a strong increase in the reduction temperature compared with research using a modified sol-gel/co-precipitation technique.

Evaporation Induced Self-assembly and Characterization of Nanoparticulate Films

Download Evaporation Induced Self-assembly and Characterization of Nanoparticulate Films PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (964 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Evaporation Induced Self-assembly and Characterization of Nanoparticulate Films by : Yipeng Yang

Download or read book Evaporation Induced Self-assembly and Characterization of Nanoparticulate Films written by Yipeng Yang and published by . This book was released on 2016 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Polymer-based semiconducting materials are promising candidates for large-scale, low-cost photovoltaic devices. To date, the efficiency of these devices has been low in part because of the challenge of optimizing molecular packing while also obtaining a bicontinuous structure with a characteristic length comparable to the exciton diffusion length of 10 to 20 nm. In this dissertation we developed an innovative evaporation-induced nanoparticle self-assembly technique, which could be an effective approach to fabricate uniform, densely packed, smooth thin films with cm-scale area from home-made P3HT nanoparticles. Unlike the previous reports of nanoparticle-based film formation, we use a mixture of two solvents so that the solvent quality slowly decreases over time and particles aggregate at the air-liquid interface. The charge mobility of P3HT nanoparticle film fabricated using this technique is very similar to that of drop-cast P3HT films. Sintering (i.e. formation of contact discs between particles) and the effect of different size distribution of nanoparticle dispersion on film charge mobility were also studied. Binary films composed of P3HT and PCBM can be obtained using the same method from a suspension containing both P3HT and PCBM nanoparticles. The existence of PCBM in binary films was confirmed, and the relative composition of the two types of particles as a function of film-formation time was measured. Moreover, we show how to control the internal, molecular-scale structure within the P3HT nanoparticles and the absorption spectra by slowing the process of particle formation. These results provide an example of manipulating one phase of the active layer of OPV devices independently of the other phase.

Glancing Angle Deposition of Thin Films

Download Glancing Angle Deposition of Thin Films PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1118847334
Total Pages : 435 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (188 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Glancing Angle Deposition of Thin Films by : Matthew M. Hawkeye

Download or read book Glancing Angle Deposition of Thin Films written by Matthew M. Hawkeye and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-07-03 with total page 435 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book provides a highly practical treatment of Glancing Angle Deposition (GLAD), a thin film fabrication technology optimized to produce precise nanostructures from a wide range of materials. GLAD provides an elegant method for fabricating arrays of nanoscale helices, chevrons, columns, and other porous thin film architectures using physical vapour deposition processes such as sputtering or evaporation. The book gathers existing procedures, methodologies, and experimental designs into a single, cohesive volume which will be useful both as a ready reference for those in the field and as a definitive guide for those entering it. It covers: Development and description of GLAD techniques for nanostructuring thin films Properties and characterization of nanohelices, nanoposts, and other porous films Design and engineering of optical GLAD films including fabrication and testing, and chiral films Post-deposition processing and integration to optimize film behaviour and structure Deposition systems and requirements for GLAD fabrication A patent survey, extensive relevant literature, and a survey of GLAD's wide range of material properties and diverse applications.

Preparation and Characterization of Organized Thin Films by the Langmuir-Schaefer Technique and Self-assembly Processes

Download Preparation and Characterization of Organized Thin Films by the Langmuir-Schaefer Technique and Self-assembly Processes PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 166 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (316 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Preparation and Characterization of Organized Thin Films by the Langmuir-Schaefer Technique and Self-assembly Processes by : Qun Wu

Download or read book Preparation and Characterization of Organized Thin Films by the Langmuir-Schaefer Technique and Self-assembly Processes written by Qun Wu and published by . This book was released on 1994 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Simple Chemical Methods for Thin Film Deposition

Download Simple Chemical Methods for Thin Film Deposition PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : Springer Nature
ISBN 13 : 9819909619
Total Pages : 590 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (199 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Simple Chemical Methods for Thin Film Deposition by : Babasaheb R. Sankapal

Download or read book Simple Chemical Methods for Thin Film Deposition written by Babasaheb R. Sankapal and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-07-02 with total page 590 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores chemical methods for thin film deposition with diverse nanostructured morphology and their applications. Unlike top-down techniques, chemical methods offer low cost, simplicity, and growth of nanostructured surface architecture with ease of small to large-scale area deposition. The book primarily focuses on innovative twelve chemical methods for thin-film deposition on one platform. Since each method has its own advantages and disadvantages, it is crucial to select the specific method for specific material to be deposited depending upon what type of application is targeted. Due to inclusive of diverse chemical deposition methods, researcher will have knowledge about best choice of the deposition method to be adopted. Inclusive methods discussed in the book are chemical bath deposition, successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction, ion exchange, electroless deposition, electrodeposition, hydrothermal, spray pyrolysis, spin coating, dip coating, doctor blade, screen printing, and sol-gel. The selection of the correct procedure for material to be deposited in thin film form depends on its unique process parameters based on the kind of application and its requirement. The role of preparative factors necessary for thin film alters properties related to structure and surface morphology, electrical conductivity and optical band gap which have been extensively discussed along with the underlying science of film synthesis. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the field of chemical methods for thin film synthesis to applications. In addition to synthesis, the book covers characterization, instrumentation, and industrial application of thin films. As a result, concentrated techniques will be of great interest to university/college professors, students and new engineers as well as postdocs and scientists in the area.

Engineering Advanced Thin Films and Particulate Materials Via the Self-assembly of Weakly Charged Polymers

Download Engineering Advanced Thin Films and Particulate Materials Via the Self-assembly of Weakly Charged Polymers PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 282 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (421 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Engineering Advanced Thin Films and Particulate Materials Via the Self-assembly of Weakly Charged Polymers by : Heng Pho Yap

Download or read book Engineering Advanced Thin Films and Particulate Materials Via the Self-assembly of Weakly Charged Polymers written by Heng Pho Yap and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 282 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Template Directed Self-assembly of Particle Monolayers

Download Template Directed Self-assembly of Particle Monolayers PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 218 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (119 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Template Directed Self-assembly of Particle Monolayers by : Xilan Zhu

Download or read book Template Directed Self-assembly of Particle Monolayers written by Xilan Zhu and published by . This book was released on 2020 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The template directed self-assembly (TDSA) is a promising method for cost-efficient and robust fabrication of nanoscale features. In this dissertation, we study the TDSA of particle monolayers to assess the possibility of its application in manufacturing. The 2D directed self-assembly of micron-sized hard spherical particles within square confinements is studied theoretically and experimentally. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations are used to predict the equilibrium packing structures of particles in square wells of specific dimensions. Spin coating and mechanical rubbing processes are used to direct the self-assembly of a monolayer of particles into the square wells. The precision of the graphoepitaxy decreases as template size increases. Both simulations and experiments show that ordered graphoepitaxy of square lattices vanishes with square templates of side length greater than five times the particle diameter. Missing particles and polydispersity of particles are two main causes disrupting the square packing structure in cells of three to five particle diameter side length. The phase diagram of a monolayer of soft particles described by the Daoud–Cotton model for star polymers is presented. Ground state calculations and grand canonical Monte Carlo simulations are used to determine the phase behavior as a function of the number of arms on the star and the areal coverage of the soft particles. The phase diagram exhibits rich behavior including reentrant melting and freezing and solid–solid transitions with triangular, stripe, honeycomb and kagome phases. These structures in 2D are analogous to the structures observed in 3D. The evolution of the structure factor with density is qualitatively similar to that measured in experiments for polymer grafted nanocrystals [Chen et al., Macromolecules, 2017, 50, 9636]. The formation of particle chains with long range order and orientational control is studied computationally. Monolayers of spherical particle usually self-assemble into isotropic structures. It has been found that some core-shell particles undergo anisotropic compression at elevated density when the particle interaction is piecewise. We expected these particles to self-assemble into aligned particle chains with controlled orientation under the guidance of some parallel confinements. Grand Canonical Monte Carlo simulations are used to predict the equilibrium packing structures of particle monolayers with parallel guidelines. Two different core-shell particles are studied. A graphoepitaxy behavior is observed and the formation of ordered particle chains is found for both particles at certain packing density with widely spaced templates. The orientation of formed particle chains can be controlled with the rigid template and the particle spacing is predicted. The self-assembled particle monolayer is an important alternative for photolithography in nanofabrication. The intolerable high defect rate has been the main challenge before the process can be used in the fabrication of high precision structures. The soft repulsive interaction is introduced for the quality enhancement of square packing structures formed from the template directed self-assembly of particle monolayers. An obvious reduction on the defect rate is observed with the star-polymer-like particles. Also, the soft interaction brings more flexibility in the template design for target structures and the tuning of particle spacing is possible

Selective Self-assembly of Multilayer Thin-films and Their Applications

Download Selective Self-assembly of Multilayer Thin-films and Their Applications PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 180 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (429 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Selective Self-assembly of Multilayer Thin-films and Their Applications by : George Murakami Stern

Download or read book Selective Self-assembly of Multilayer Thin-films and Their Applications written by George Murakami Stern and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 180 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Field-directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles for Engineering Phononic Materials

Download Field-directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles for Engineering Phononic Materials PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 343 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (97 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Field-directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles for Engineering Phononic Materials by : Hojin Kim

Download or read book Field-directed Self-assembly of Colloidal Particles for Engineering Phononic Materials written by Hojin Kim and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 343 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: These results verify that colloidal self-assembly is a promising way to develop functional nanomaterials. One can design specific structures to achieve desired phononic bandgaps from versatile building blocks.

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Self-assembled Monolayers and Novel Thin Films

Download Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Self-assembled Monolayers and Novel Thin Films PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 624 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (438 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Self-assembled Monolayers and Novel Thin Films by : Laura Jane Yeager

Download or read book Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Self-assembled Monolayers and Novel Thin Films written by Laura Jane Yeager and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 624 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Fine Particles

Download Fine Particles PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : CRC Press
ISBN 13 : 9780824700010
Total Pages : 764 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 ( download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Fine Particles by : Tadao Sugimoto

Download or read book Fine Particles written by Tadao Sugimoto and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2000-09-25 with total page 764 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "The first comprehensive book on fine particle synthesis that ranges from fundamental principles to the most advanced concepts, highlighting mondispersed particles from nanometers to micrometers. Describes mechanisms of formation and specific characteristics of each family of compounds while identifying problems and proposing solutions. Contains subsections that analyze growth processes, characterize products, and delineate physical and chemical results based on causality."

Surface Induced Self Assembly in Thin Polymer Films

Download Surface Induced Self Assembly in Thin Polymer Films PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 94 pages
Book Rating : 4.:/5 (348 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Surface Induced Self Assembly in Thin Polymer Films by : Georg Krausch

Download or read book Surface Induced Self Assembly in Thin Polymer Films written by Georg Krausch and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 94 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Thin Film Processes

Download Thin Film Processes PDF Online Free

Author :
Publisher : MDPI
ISBN 13 : 303936264X
Total Pages : 172 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (393 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!


Book Synopsis Thin Film Processes by : Hyun Wook Jung

Download or read book Thin Film Processes written by Hyun Wook Jung and published by MDPI. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Thin film processes are significantly incorporated in manufacturing display panels, secondary batteries, fuel/solar cells, catalytic films, membranes, adhesives, and other commodity films. This Special Issue on “Thin Film Processes” of Processes listed recent progress on thin-film processes, covering theoretical considerations, experimental observations, and computational techniques. Articles in this Issue consider comprehensive studies on thin film processes and related materials.