Pattern formation of colloidal suspensions by dip-coating: An in situ grazing incidence X-ray scattering study

Dip-coating of a colloidal suspension is investigated in situ with microbeam grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering. We focus on the real-time monitoring of a vertical dip-coating process yielding insights into structural changes during pattern formation of the thin film. With the selected configuration a fixed spot on the sample surface is probed and the structural information at the time the contact line passes this spot is obtained, hence revealing the structure at the vicinity of the flowing meniscus owing to the microfocused beam. After dip-coating the morphology is analyzed with atomic force microscopy, yielding real space information about the arrangement of individual nanoparticles at the film surface. GISAXS allows for in situ investigation of structure formation during dip-coating. ((c) 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)