AFM investigation of effect of absorbed water layer structure on growth mechanism of octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer on oxidized silicon

Shaowei Li; Yanjun Zheng; Changfeng Chen

doi:10.1063/1.4954835

AFM investigation of effect of absorbed water layer structure on growth mechanism of octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer on oxidized silicon

J Chem Phys. 2016 Jun 28;144(24):244709. doi: 10.1063/1.4954835.

Authors

Shaowei Li¹, Yanjun Zheng¹, Changfeng Chen¹

Affiliation

¹ Department of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China.

PMID: 27369535
DOI: 10.1063/1.4954835

Abstract

The growth mechanism of an octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) self-assembled monolayer on a silicon oxide surface at various relative humidities has been investigated. Atomic force microscopy images show that excess water may actually hinder the nucleation and growth of OTS islands. A moderate amount of water is favorable for the nucleation and growth of OTS islands in the initial stage; however, the completion of the monolayer is very slow in the final stage. The growth of OTS islands on a low-water-content surface maintains a relatively constant speed and requires the least amount of time. The mobility of water molecules is thought to play an important role in the OTS monolayers, and a low-mobility water layer provides a steady condition for OTS monolayer growth.