Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Surface Modification of Silicon Through Thermal Annealing and Rinsing of Solvent Cast Polystyrene Films

Kalan, Steven V.

Abstract Details

2011, Master of Science in Polymer Engineering, University of Akron, Polymer Engineering.

Surface modification is an important process for many applications. It has been found that an ultrathin polymer film can be generated on silicon substrates with a native oxide layer by spin-coating, thermally annealing, and washing films of thiol terminated polystyrene (PS-SH) or anionically polymerized polystyrene (PS). This is a useful modification technique as it requires little pretreatment of the substrate or specialized polymerization chemistry for the case of PS films. These ultrathin films were characterized using contact angle (CA), x-ray reflection (XR), and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).

Experimental results indicated that a thin polymer film formed characteristic of the grafted polymer for both PS-SH and PS due to the physical adsorption of the PS chains. It is suggested that the benzene rings of polystyrene all share a bond with the silicon surface creating a relatively overall strong bond from the polymer to the silicon wafer. Differences in the PS-SH and PS films are consistent with additional end-tethering of the PS-SH chains. Spin coated films underwent different levels of rinsing with multiple solvents. After all levels of rinsing, the polymer was still present on the surface, indicating a relatively strong physical bond between the polymer and silicon oxide. Control experiments using non-annealed versus annealed polystyrene polymers showed that grafting depends on the mobility of the chains during thermal annealing of the polystyrene films. Two other samples, polytert-butyl styrene (PtBS) and block copolymer poly (styrene-b-dimethylsiloxane) (PS-b-PDMS), were also used and compared with PS to show the effects of thermal annealing of PS to a silicon surface. XR results show an increase in residual layer thickness with molecular weight (Mw). Analysis of water contact angle of PS residual layers as a function of annealing time and annealing temperature illustrates directly proportional relationships. Further surface modification analysis by ultra violet light and ozone (UVO) treatment demonstrates that the surface energy can be roughly tuned for a small range of UVO treatment times.

Kevin Cavicchi, Dr. (Advisor)
Alamgir Karim, Dr. (Advisor)
82 p.

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Kalan, S. V. (2011). Surface Modification of Silicon Through Thermal Annealing and Rinsing of Solvent Cast Polystyrene Films [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1316651768

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Kalan, Steven. Surface Modification of Silicon Through Thermal Annealing and Rinsing of Solvent Cast Polystyrene Films. 2011. University of Akron, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1316651768.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Kalan, Steven. "Surface Modification of Silicon Through Thermal Annealing and Rinsing of Solvent Cast Polystyrene Films." Master's thesis, University of Akron, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1316651768

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)