Surface Modification of Textured Dielectrics and Their Wetting Behavior

摘要

Controlling the wettability on dielectric materials is a classical topic in surface engineering. Surface texturing and deposition of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) are major approaches to achieve lower or higher water contact angle (theta (c)) and thereby making surface less or more wettable (more hydrophobic). Dielectric surfaces wetting has been engineered by surface modification and has been shown to achieve theta (c) to a maximum of 120A degrees A +/- 5A degrees. Further improvement in theta (c) to an extent greater than 150A degrees A +/- 5A degrees is desired to render the surface superhydrophobic. We report in this work an achievement of theta (c) > 150A degrees A +/- 5A degrees by combining the plasma-treated surface and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) SAMs deposition on dielectrics, and this had been shown on dielectric ranging from low-k to high-k values. The improvement in wetting behavior and quality of dielectric surface with monolayer on plasma-treated surfaces are (is) investigated and characterized using atomic-force microscope (AFM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), contact angle goniometer, and Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and are compared with untreated dielectric surface with OTS monolayers.