Adsorption of alkanethiol self-assembled monolayers on sputtered gold substrates for atomic nanolithography applications

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Date
2004-01
Authors
O'Dwyer, Colm
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The Electrochemical Society
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Abstract
A detailed study of the self-assembly and coverage by 1-nonanethiol of sputtered Au surfaces using molecular resolution atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) is presented. The monolayer self-assembles on a smooth Au surface composed predominantly of {111} oriented grains. The domains of the alkanethiol monolayer are observed with sizes typically of 5-25 nm, and multiple molecular domains can exist within one Au grain. STM imaging shows that the (4 × 2) superlattice structure is observed as a (3 × 2√3) structure when imaged under noncontact AFM conditions. The 1-nonanethiol molecules reside in the threefold hollow sites of the Au{111} lattice and aligned along its [112] lattice vectors. The self-assembled monolayer (SAM) contains many nonuniformities such as pinholes, domain boundaries, and monatomic depressions which are present in the Au surface prior to SAM adsorption. The detailed observations demonstrate limitations to the application of 1-nonanethiol as a resist in atomic nanolithography experiments to feature sizes of ~20 nm.
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Keywords
Scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) , Helium atom diffraction , Molecular dynamics , Organosulfur compounds , Organic monolayers , X-ray
Citation
O’Dwyer, C. (2004) ‘Adsorption of Alkanethiol Self-Assembled Monolayers on Sputtered Gold Substrates for Atomic Nanolithography Applications’, 206th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society: Nanoscale Devices, Materials, and Biological Systems: Fundamental and Applications. Hilton Hawaiian Village, Honolulu, Hawaii, 3-8 October. New Jersey: The Electrochemical Society, 13, pp. 391-410.
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© The Electrochemical Society, Inc. 2004. All rights reserved. Except as provided under U.S. copyright law, this work may not be reproduced, resold, distributed, or modified without the express permission of The Electrochemical Society (ECS). The archival version of this work was published in O’Dwyer, C. (2004) ‘Adsorption of Alkanethiol Self-Assembled Monolayers on Sputtered Gold Substrates for Atomic Nanolithography Applications’, 206th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society: Nanoscale Devices, Materials, and Biological Systems: Fundamental and Applications. Honolulu, Hawaii, 3-8 October. New Jersey: The Electrochemical Society, 13, pp. 391-410.