Researchers propose engineering of nonlocal optical environments to control dewetting of metallic thin films

PISCATAWAY, N.J., Nov. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Dewetting of thin films is a phenomenon in which heat or laser irradiation destabilizes a continuous film, causing it to retract into nanoscale island-like structures. Compared to thermal dewetting, laser-induced dewetting offers greater precision, speed, and flexibility, and is a promising approach for patterning metallic thin films.