DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF SUPER-HYDROPHOBIC SURFACES ON SILICON WAFERS AND STUDY OF EFFECTS TO HYDROPHOBICITY

Abstract

Some superhydrophobic siliconbased surfaces with periodic square pillar array microstructures were designed and fabricated, also their apparent contact angles (CAs) were quantitatively measured. On the basis of the classical Wenzel's theory and Cassie's theory, two generally applicable equations corresponding of the cases of wetted contact and composite contact, which could reflect the relations between geometrical parameters of square pillar mierostructures and apparent CAs, were educed. Then a theoretical prediction of the fabricated siliconbased surfaces was carried out by the equations, which was compatible with the result of experimental measurement, and this showed the rationality of the educed equations. The CAs of the surface prepared by merely plasma etching to create microstructures and by only Teflon treating were compared, and the result indicated that the effect of the former on achieving hydrophobic surfaces was greater than that of the later. Under the premise of synthetically considering transition between the two contact states, the effects of geometrical parameters of the square pillar microstructures to hydrophobicity were analyzcation, thereon a design condition and a design principle for super-hydrophohic surfaces which would be of specific application value were summarized.