Abstract
The formation and characterization of nanometer thick sol-gel films are reported. The films were prepared by spin-coating of a diluted solution of a silane precursor on a number of different substrates. The effect of dilution, rotation speed and nature of substrate on the thickness and homogeneity of the films was examined. Characterization of the films was carried out by profilometry, reflectance spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, adhesion test and electrochemistry. We find that the dilution factor has a pronounced effect on the film thickness. Moreover, the time of dilution, namely, whether dilution was carried out before or after a period of hydrolysis, has a noticeable effect on the thickness as well as on the permeability of embedded species.
Original language | American English |
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Pages (from-to) | 4624-4628 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Thin Solid Films |
Volume | 515 |
Issue number | 11 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 9 Apr 2007 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This work was supported by the Ministry of Science under the Infrastructure program.
Keywords
- Electrochemistry
- Silane
- Sol-gel
- Ultra-thin films