Nanotribological properties of octadecyltrichlorosilane self-assembled ultrathin films studied by atomic force microscopy: Contact and tapping modes

Atomic force microscopy, working in contact and tapping modes, has been used to probe the mechanical response of octadecyltrichlorosilane, CH3-(CH2)(17)-SiCl3 (OTS), self-assembled ultrathin films grafted on silicon-treated surfaces. To assess the adhesion hysteresis and the elasticity of the films, we have performed loading and unloading experiments in contact mode. The effect of compression is observed while the load is being applied to the film. Once the load is fully removed, the film remains compressed showing a clear deviation from perfect elasticity, with relaxation times in the range of 0.1 s. In the tapping made, the loading/unloading experiments show again the deviation from perfect elastic recovery of the films. Upon loading, three different regions are encountered. These can be associated with an initial disorder of the chains produced by the indenting tip; followed by a smooth compression and a final hardening effect due to repulsive forces between the compressed chains. The tapping mode is also used to provide strong evidence of a ''cushioning'' effect. The tribological properties of our OTS layers seem to be influenced by molecular disorder of the alkyl chains.