Binary Separation in Very Thin Nematic Films: Thickness and Phase Coexistence

The behavior as a function of temperature of very thin films (10 to 200 nm) of pentylcyanobiphenyl on silicon substrates is reported. In the vicinity of the nematic-isotropic transition we observe a coexistence of two regions of different thicknesses: thick regions are in the nematic state while thin ones are in the isotropic state. Moreover, the transition temperature is shifted downward following a 1/h(2) law ( h is the film thickness). Microscope observations and small-angle x-ray scattering allowed us to draw a phase diagram which is explained in terms of a binary first-order phase transition where thickness plays the role of an order parameter.