Si wafers covered with a native oxide were used as substrates for growth of
12.5 nm of evaporated Au (Au/SiOx), and self-assembly of a dendrimer monol
ayer followed by the same thickness of Au (Au/dendrimer/SiOx). This paper p
resents evidence for very significant improvements in Au film quality when
grown on a self-assembled monolayer of amine-terminated poly(amidoamine) (P
AMAM) dendrimers (generation G8) on SiOx. An increase in surface hardness f
rom 1.7 to 3 GPa, a decrease in surface roughness from about 1.2 to 0.4 nm
and better adhesion are shown with a combination of XPS, X-ray reflectivity
(XRR), AFM. and nanoindentation. The improvement in film quality may be ex
plained by penetration of the deposited Au into the dendrimer adlayer. This
interpenetration is confirmed by AFM profilometry and XPS analysis. (C) 20
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