An Improved Chemical Resistance and Mechanical Durability of Hydrophobic FDTS Coatings

Abstract

Chemical and mechanical stability of FDTS (perfluorodecyltrichlorosilane) hydrophobic coatings was improved by using an oxide adhesion layer followed by an in-situ vapour deposition of the FDTS self-aligned monolayer. The use of silicon oxide base layer improves stability of the FDTS film and degradation of its hydrophobic properties resulting from a continuous immersion in water and other liquids. We ascribe the improved stability of the FDTS films grown on oxide to high density and uniformity of the surface hydroxyl groups required for FDTS attachment and the resulting high quality of the FDTS monolayer. This approach shows film property improvement over traditional substrates such as silicon and aluminium but may also be particularly useful in biochemistry and micro fluidics when films are deposited on substrates with lower density of the surface hydroxyl groups.