Crystallization of Adsorbed Polymer Monolayers

We present atomic force microscopy results and corresponding computer simulations on crystallization of quasi-2D monolayers of polyetheleneoxid adsorbed onto bare silicon wafers. Fingerlike branched patterns with a characteristic width $w$ resulted from crystallization at temperatures $T_c$ below the melting point $T_m$. $w$ decreased exponentially as $\left(T_m{-T}_c\right)$ increased. The patterns are explained by a simple model considering the interplay of transport on the surface and the probability of attachment to the crystal.