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Dynamics of Vapor-phase Organophosphates on Silicon and OTS

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Abstract

We have performed a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) study of the uptake and nanotribology of organophosphate (tricresylphosphate (TCP) and t-butyl phenyl phosphate (TBPP)) layers adsorbed from the vapor phase onto amorphous and polycrystalline silicon and octadecyltrichlorosilane (OTS) treated silicon substrates. The materials were selected for their relevance to MEMS applications. About 3–5 monolayer-thick organophosphate films are observed to form readily on both silicon and OTS-treated silicon. The coatings moreover exhibit mobility in the form of interfacial slippage or viscoelasticity in response to the oscillatory motion of the QCM, implying that enhanced tribological performance may be expected in MEMS applications.

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Notes

  1. AT-cut quartz crystals, which are oriented 35o15' from the primary crystalline axis, are readily available because the resonant frequency for crystals oriented at this angle are highly insensitive to temperature changes when operated at room temperature.

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Acknowledgments

NSF CMS0087866/DMR0320743 and AFOSR Extreme Friction MURI F49620-01-1-0132/FA9550-04-1-0381 are gratefully acknowledged for supporting the work reported here.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Worakarn Neeyakorn, Manju Varma, Cherno Jaye, James E. Burnette, Sang M. Lee, Robert J. Nemanich & Jacqueline Krim

  2. Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA

    Christine S. Grant

Authors
  1. Worakarn Neeyakorn
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  2. Manju Varma
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  3. Cherno Jaye
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  4. James E. Burnette
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  5. Sang M. Lee
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  6. Robert J. Nemanich
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  7. Christine S. Grant
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  8. Jacqueline Krim
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Correspondence to Jacqueline Krim.

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Neeyakorn, W., Varma, M., Jaye, C. et al. Dynamics of Vapor-phase Organophosphates on Silicon and OTS. Tribol Lett 27, 269–276 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-007-9224-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11249-007-9224-y

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