Application of Thermogravimetric Analysis in the Investigation of the Sublimation Process

Sublimation is essential in chemical vapor deposition (CVD), which is used to obtain thin material layers with applications in semiconductor manufacturing, integrated circuits, or photovoltaic panels. By optimizing the sublimation process, advanced materials with unique properties can be obtained, revolutionizing fields such as electronics, optics, and the aerospace industry. This study evaluates the influence of temperature on the sublimation rate of naphthalene, frequently used as a standard for studying the sublimation of aromatic hydrocarbons. For this purpose, thermogravimetric analysis was applied under isothermal conditions, using air as a carrier gas at temperatures of 40, 50, 60, and 70°C, with different naphthalene layer thicknesses. The processing of thermogravimetric curves allowed the determination of the mass loss percentage over time. The sublimation rate was determined from the slope of these curves. The mass loss rate of naphthalene followed zero-order kinetics. The study demonstrated that isothermal thermogravimetric analysis provides a simple method for determining kinetic parameters such as activation energy and pre-exponential factor.