Spin coating epitaxial films

Abstract

Epitaxial films through spin coating A simple way to coat a surface with a uniform film is by spin coating. The substrate is spun at high speed, and a droplet of solution containing the coating is added at the center, spreads out, and evaporates. This method is used to make polycrystalline inorganic coatings and amorphous films, such as polymers used in lithography. Kelso et al. performed spin coating with single-crystal substrates, carefully controlling the thickness of the spreading solution on the basis of its viscosity and the rotation rate. In this way, they achieved epitaxial growth—in which the crystallites are oriented by the substrate—for perovskites, zinc oxide, and sodium chloride. Science , this issue p. 166