AVS 49th International Symposium
    Nanometer Structures Wednesday Sessions
       Session NS-WeM

Paper NS-WeM5
Surface, Bulk and Interfacial Analysis of Self-assembled NAno-phase Particle (SNAP) Films

Wednesday, November 6, 2002, 9:40 am, Room C-207

Session: Nanostructured Materials
Presenter: M.S. Donley, AFRL/MLBT, Wright-Patterson AFB
Authors: L.S. Kasten, AFRL/MLBT (UDRI), Wright-Patterson AFB
V.N. Balbyshev, AFRL/MLBT (UTC), Wright-Patterson AFB
D.J. Gaspar, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
M.S. Donley, AFRL/MLBT, Wright-Patterson AFB
Correspondent: Click to Email
The chemistry, structure, and morphology of Self-assembled NAnophase Particle (SNAP) coatings were investigated using a variety of surface analysis methods. A new method of forming functionalized silica nanoparticles in-situ in an aqueous sol-gel process, and then crosslinking the nanoparticles to form a thin film, is an excellent example of a nanoscience approach to coatings. Results will be presented on the surface morphology, structure, surface chemistry, and chemical structure of SNAP films. The surface chemistry of the films was investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), grazing angle XPS, and Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (TOF-SIMS). The surface morphology of films was examined using Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), while X-ray Diffraction (XRD) was used to investigate film structure. The chemical structure and adhesion mechanism of SNAP coatings were also investigated via TOF-SIMS. Very little chemical difference between the outermost surface and bulk regions is seen, while the adhesion mechanism is related to the nature of the cross-linking agent. The results of these analyses will be discussed in detail and a model of the proposed chemical structure will be presented.