The phase behavior of multicomponent self-assembled monolayers directs thenanoscale texturing of Si(100) by wet etching

We demonstrate a novel soft-lithography-based methodology for generating na noscale structures on Si(100) substrates via wet chemical etching. The feat ure generation apparently results from the phase dynamics of a multicompone nt resist ink which phase separates on the Si surface. The monolayers forme d from inks comprised of different mole fractions of docosyltrichlorosilane and octyltrichlorosilane contact printing are annealed in air and then pla ced into KOH etching solutions to generate dense textures of nanoscale feat ures. We examine the resulting etch structures via atomic force microscopy and find that the different mole fractions of the model inks used here infl uence the nanoscale textures of the structures obtained. The photoluminesce nce of the etched samples was examined, both for the samples obtained from the etching and following a subsequent treatment in a buffered HF solution.