High-precision spin coater for a synchrotron radiation in situ GISAXS system: for the investigation of formation mechanisms of self-assembled structures in polymer thin films

A high-precision spin-coater system has been developed for the investigation of formation mechanisms of self-assembled structures in polymer thin films. The spin coater was designed to have small axial deflection (<2.6 µm at the maximum speed of 2000 r min^-1) during rotation in order to maintain the relative position with respect to the incident X-ray beam, and to be compact (70 mm) in height to facilitate incorporation into an in situ synchrotron radiation grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) system. The first results of simultaneous measurements on the morphology and film thickness of a triblock copolymer with time resolution of 64 ms during thin-film formation at 2000 r min^-1 provide indispensable information for understanding the vertically grown lamellar structure on the film surface.