Fabrication of nanostructured surfaces using self-assembled monolayers

We describe a new method for 3 dimensional nanostructuring on silicon surfa ces using self-assembled monolayers. Partial multilayers were formed by rep eated deposition of trichlorosilylheptadecanoic acid methyl ester (TSHEME) and subsequent reduction to yield a hydroxylic surface. These structures we re afterwards oxidised using UV/ozone, yielding silicon oxide features. In this way both organic multilayered structures as well as ones comprised of silicon oxide have been produced with precise control of the height and inv ariant lateral shape of these structures. We have tried to apply samples pr epared in this fashion to the calibration of AFM-scanners in vertical direc tion. Due to height artefacts caused by the tip-sample interaction a genera l calibration is not possible on the molecular scale. However, the structures produced can be used as model systems for the inves tigation of various sources of height artefacts and also for calibration pu rposes as long as samples with similar chemical and mechanical properties a re to be investigated.