Heating and melting of a film on a substrate

Approximate results are given for the time required to melt a film on a thick substrate if the time dependence of the film temperature is known up to the melting point. Results for temperature versus time are given for a uniformly heated film and for a film heated by very strongly absorbed light incident either from the free surface or through the substrate. The calculations assume one-dimensional heat flow, but a simple model with radial heat flow is treated in the Appendix. © 1973 American Institute of Physics.