Exposure of self-assembled monolayers to highly charged ions and metastable atoms

The doses of neutral metastable argon atoms (Ar*) and highly charged xenon ions (HCIs) required to damage self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of alkaneth iolates on gold are compared in a set of experiments carried out concurrent ly. The extent of damage to the SAM is determined by developing the samples in a gold etching solution, then measuring the decrease in reflectivity of the gold; approximate to 10(5) Ar* are required to cause the same amount o f damage as 1 HCI, as measured by this assay. We have also demonstrated HCI micropatterning of a surface using a physical mask, suggesting the applica tion of this system in lithography. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)03330-6].