X-ray diffuse scattering study of static undulations in multilayer films of a liquid-crystalline polymer

Abstract
The first detailed x-ray study of static undulations in a liquid-crystal polymer is presented. By examining the nonspecular diffuse scattering from a 30-layer ferroelectric liquid-crystal polymer film, it is shown that the layer fluctuations are induced by the roughness of the film-substrate interface. This contrasts with the case of free-standing films wherein thermal fluctuations play the major role.