Inorganic flat surfaces

Ellipsometry is the study of the change of polarization of a light wave impinging on a solid surface and partially reflected from it, which is modified by the wavefunction of the substrate or of the molecules adsorbed on it (Fig. 11.36) (see Section 2.15 for the mathematics). It is a nondestructive method to study the optical properties of thin films and is sensitive to even just a monolayer of inorganic, organic, or biochemical adsorbates on a flat surface. 

Multiscale microlens arrays can be directly fabricated on a hydrophobic flat surface by a simple inkjet printing technique (20). Inorganic/organic hybrid precursor polymers based on silicones are used. These structures are modified with organic structures that can be eventually crosslinked (21). 

Mass transfer in flow parallel to flat plates. The mass transfer and vaporization of liquids from a plate or flat surface to a flowing stream is of interest in the drying of inorganic and biological materials, in evaporation of solvents from paints, for plates in wi nd tunnels, and in flow channels in chemical process equipment. 

Since scanning tunneling microscopy requires flat conducting surfaces, it is not surprising that most of its early application was to study inorganic materials [17, 19, 20, 29-34]. These studies include investigations of catalytic metal surfaces [24, 35-37], silicon and other oxides [21], superconductors [38], gold... 

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