Abstract
Design details of a new Langmuir-Blodgett trough are presented. It uses a diamond-shaped barrier which flexes at the corners to alter the area, giving high cleanliness and a constant perimeter. The amplitude of surface waves is of the order of 1 mu m (mostly due to background noise), and the uncertainty in the area of the diamond-shaped barrier is less than 1.5%. Trough performance was evaluated using eicosanoic and tricosanoic acid, both on subphases containing cadmium ions. Good stability of the surface monolayers and sharp phase transitions indicate that high levels of cleanliness are possible. Isotherms show excellent reproducibility. Surface flow patterns during deposition are satisfactory, and film quality is high, as judged from microscopic examination and preliminary optical and electrical studies.