Crystallization and morphology of ultrathin films of homopolymers and polymer blends

Ultrathin films of thicknesses below 100 nm are now considered in different areas of applications. Their behavior in term of kinetics of crystallization is very different from that of bulk samples due to the film confinement in two-dimensions, and their morphologies are unique. In this review, recent advances in the crystallization of ultrathin films of homopolymers and miscible polymer blends will be described, with an emphasis on morphologies and, in the case of blends, on mixtures made of two crystalline polymers.