AFM study of perfluoroalkylsilane and alkylsilane self-assembled monolayers for anti-stiction in MEMS/NEMS

Recent investigations have revealed the profound influence of stiction/adhesion, friction and wear on the reliability of micro/nanoelectromechanical systems (MEMS/NEMS). Studies have shown that the so-called self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) can be potential anti-stiction lubricants for MEMS/NEMS. Understanding the molecular tribological mechanisms of SAMs is a key to successfully designing and preparing super lubricants for MEMS/NEMS. For this purpose, perfluoroalkylsilane and alkylsilane SAMs have been deposited by a vapor deposition process on silicon with a native oxide layer and silica substrates. The surface roughness, adhesion, friction and wear properties of these coatings have been extensively studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Tribological properties on the macroscale have also been investigated for comparison.