Abstract
We observed the condensation process of submicron-scale droplets on silicon (100) surface by using environmental scanning electron microscope. We found that the condensation growth of a submicron-sized droplet is classified into two modes. In the first mode, the contact angle is smaller than the macroscopic contact angle, which is the contact angle observed for millimeter-sized droplets, and increases linearly with time until reaching the macroscopic contact angle. In the second mode, which follows the first mode, the base diameter increases with time while the contact angle remains constant. The first mode is a growth mode peculiar to droplets with diameters less than 10 μm.
