Evolution of the structure and mechanical stability of self-assembled alkanethiol islands on Au(111) due to diffusion and ripening
- Departamento de Intercaras y Crecimiento, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC), Cantoblanco 28049-Madrid (Spain)
- Materials Science Division, Lawrence Berkely National Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
An atomic force microscope (AFM) study of the structure and stability of islands of alkanethiol (C{sub 16}H{sub 33}SH) grown on Au(111) is presented. Ripening processes involving long-range molecular diffusion takes place at ambient temperature in the scale of days. In the partially covered surface, ripening is manifested by an enlargement of the islands as well as by molecular densification. On the well packed islands, the c(4{times}2) superstructure is imaged. Another manifestation of island densification is a substantial increase in mechanical stability, as shown by the resistance of the film to penetration by the tip. The threshold pressure for molecular displacement and tip penetration was found to increase by almost 70{percent} relative to the initial value before ripening. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}
- OSTI ID:
- 690697
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Chemical Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Chemical Physics Journal Issue: 21 Vol. 111; ISSN JCPSA6; ISSN 0021-9606
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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