Center for Thin-Film Studies. Annual report, 1 October 1986-1 October 1987

This report covers the first year of operation of the URI Thin Film Center (TFC), and describes a diverse array of studies on thin-film materials, substrates, and their processing and analysis. Individual efforts are highlighted in sections on nucleation studies, ion-assisted deposition, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry, Brillouin scattering, a continuum theory of the evolution of structure in thin films, a study of polishing parameters relevant to the preparation of substrates, and the setup of a characterization facility for the Center.