The Thickness Dependence of the Phase Transition Temperature in Thin Solid Films

Dependence of the phase transition temperatures on the thickness of films has been studied by a thermodynamic theory. The result shows that the depression of the transition temperature is inversely proportional to the thickness. Calculated values of the lowering of the melting points of gold are 6.5°C for 100 nm thickness and 65°C for 10 nm thickness.