AVS 49th International Symposium
    Surface Science Friday Sessions
       Session SS-FrM

Invited Paper SS-FrM3
A Thermodynamic Perspective on Self-Assembled Monolayer Growth

Friday, November 8, 2002, 9:00 am, Room C-110

Session: Self-Assembly at Surfaces
Presenter: D.K. Schwartz, University of Colorado
Authors: D.K. Schwartz, University of Colorado
J. Mellott, University of Colorado
I. Doudevski, University of California, Santa Barbara
W. Hayes, Crompton Corp.
C. Messerschmidt, Infinion Corp.
Correspondent: Click to Email
Self-assembled monolayers form spontaneously at the solution/solid interface as a consequence of molecular adsorption and two-dimensional self-organization. The self-organization process can be viewed from the perspective of the nucleation and growth of a dense 2D phase (solid) from a less dense phase. In particular, the nucleation and growth kinetics of solid clusters in coexistence with a 2D "vapor" phase agree quantitatively with models of vapor phase epitaxial growth that predict growth regimes and scaling exponents. Other growth mechanisms are found, however, when the adsorbate/substrate interaction is varied. In fact, one can observe a qualitative change in the growth mechanism for a single system as a function of temperature. These mechanisms can be classified into three classes which can be viewed in a 2D thermodynamic context as occurring (1) below the liquid-vapor triple point, (2) above the liquid-vapor triple point, and (3) above the liquid-"solid" critical point, respectively.