The Thermodynamics and Kinetics of film agglomeration

Agglomeration is a common problem in all technological areas that depend on the integrity and continuity of films. The origin of agglomeration of thin films has been traced to its thermodynamic roots. This article demonstrates that both stress and surface tension effects play major roles in determining the overall stability of a film to agglomeration. However, complete agglomeration - uncovering the substrate and the formation of well-separated islands - will only occur if the operative surface and interfacial tensions favor dewetting or partial wetting. The formation of holes and/or hillocks may be favored by the commonplace large stresses in a film. Such holes and/or hillocks can provide a means of stress relaxation in the film.