Vitrification in restricted geometry: dry films of colloidal particles

We prepared dry films of colloidal particles from surfactant co-stabilized polystyrene and poly(methyl methacrylate) latex spheres of moderate polydispersity. The film thickness was varied from monolayer to some 20 μm. The average structure and the influence of polydispersity was analyzed by small-angle X-ray scattering. An analysis of local microscopic structures was performed by force microscopy on the least polydisperse sample. Irrespective of the thickness, we observe the formation of only short-ranged order which is rather pronounced but changes its qualitative character in the vicinity of the substrate. The observations suggest a bulk structure of small, defect-rich and stacking fault…