Geometrically tuned and chemically switched wetting properties of silicon nanotips

Hung Chun Lo, Yi Fan Huang, Surojit Chattopadhyay*, Chih Hsun Hsu, Chia Fu Chen, Kuei Hsien Chen, Li Chyong Chen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

12 Scopus citations

Abstract

The wetting properties of silicon nanotips (SiNTs) are discussed. SiNTs were prepared by single step dry etching of silicon wafers in an electron cyclotron resonance plasma of silane, methane, argon and hydrogen and water contact angles were measured as a function of their aspect ratio (α) and the inter-tip distance. The hydrophilic nature of the SiNTs is tunable with α and the inter-tip distance. Super-hydrophilicity with water contact angles close to 2° was observed with α>12 (length ∼1500 nm). Upon coating a 1500 nm long SiNT with TiO2, the water contact angle jumped from 2° to ∼140°, demonstrating a switchover from super-hydrophilic to hydrophobic surface properties.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2542-2545
Number of pages4
JournalNanotechnology
Volume17
Issue number10
DOIs
StatePublished - 28 May 2006

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