title: AFM investigation of effect of absorbed water layer structure on growth mechanism of octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled monolayer on oxidized silicon.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China.
authors.forename: Shaowei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China.
authors.forename: Yanjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, China University of Petroleum-Beijing, Beijing 102249, China.
authors.forename: Changfeng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chen