ELECTROLESS DEPOSITION OF METALS ONTO ORGANOSILANE MONOLAYERS

Deposition of gold and copper onto monolayers of 9-aminopropylsilane a nd 3-mercaptopropylsilane is described. The depositions described here are performed without the aid of a palladium or tin/palladium catalys t. Strongly adherent metal particles attached to the modified surfaces can be produced by placing the silane surfaces either in aqueous solu tions of the metal ion of interest (HAuCl4 or CuSO4), followed by expo sure of the metal/silane surface to a solution containing only reducin g agent (denoted as sequentially prepared films), or aqueous solutions of a reducing agent mixed with the metal ions (denoted as autocatalyt ic films). Scanning force microscopy, in contact mode, was used to exa mine the morphology of the resulting nanometer-sized metal deposits. T he metal deposits have been used as nucleation layers for the electrol ess deposition of conductive, reflective copper films.